Life's Secrets
by Jewels-Rem
Summary: Rachel's had a hard life, but now her life has gotten worse. She has to face the awful truth, live with the pain of her family's death, and have a life full of secrets and guilt at Camp Green Lake. Who will cure her of it and who will care for her enough?
1. Prison Bound

"Mom! I'm home!" Seventeen year old Rachel Harrison just walked in the door from getting off the school bus. Her parents have always been poor, and never had the money to buy a car. She dropped the backpack off her shoulder and put her keys in one of the pockets.  
  
"Mom?" She said again. She narrowed her eyes. Something's wrong. Mom's always here when I get back from school. She thought.  
  
"What the hell?" she said quietly. "Mom! Where are you?"  
  
"Rachel? Is that you?"  
  
Rachel froze and widened her eyes. It was the voice of her father, who's supposed to be at work, and he sounded drunk. Again.  
  
Rachel swallowed and made her way into the kitchen where her dad was leaning over the sink. Rachel could smell the beer in the room. She didn't want to be there, not when her dad was home anyway. He's always been abusive towards Rachel and her mother.  
  
"Why aren't you at work?" Rachel asked.  
  
"Fired." He said.  
  
From the way he said 'fired', Rachel knew he didn't want to talk about it.  
  
"Uh, Dad, do you um, know where Mom is?" Rachel stammered.  
  
He waved his hand and said, "Oh, she's somewhere."  
  
That wasn't a good sign.  
  
"Dad, what did you do!?" Rachel screamed.  
  
He turned around and started walking towards her.  
  
Rachel was scared and didn't know what to do. There was blood on the front of his shirt and his right hand.  
  
"Dad, Dad stop it! Where's Mom!?"  
  
"Face it Rachel. Your bitch of a mother is gone, gone for good. So you just need to deal with it." He said, smirking.  
  
Rachel gagged and almost fell to the ground. Tears burst out of her eyes. She sobbed.  
  
"Since when do you give a damn about where your mother is?" He said. He looked sea sick.  
  
"A-always." She stammered again.  
  
"Yeah, well I sure as hell don't. So I need to start teaching you," he said, pointing his finger at her, "to not care about her anymore and start caring about buying me some drugs when I ask ya for 'em!" he yelled. "Dammit!"  
  
He reached into his pants and pulled out a gun. He pointed it at her.  
  
Rachel did what he instincts told her. She ducked and ran into the living room. She heard gun fire and felt parts of the ceiling fall down on her back. She screamed.  
  
Rachel ran into the kitchen the back way and jumped on her dad's back. She was so angry. She bit the back of his neck, tasting the blood. It didn't hurt him because the drugs and alcohol numbed the pain. He yelled and shot bullets anywhere he could. He had horrible aim because he was so drunk, but that didn't make Rachel feel like it was easier to get away. She needed to do something, and fast.  
  
She put her hands around his neck, he dropped the gun. She let go and crawled under his legs, grabbing the gun.  
  
She needed to call the police but the phone was disconnected because of her father's lack of money. She had no one to run to or call for help. She was on her own. Only God could help her now.  
  
All she could do was run. Right when she got up, he grabbed her legs and she fell, hitting her head on the corner of the coffee table. She screamed and clutched her head. She didn't let go of the gun, but shot a bullet right at the TV. It blew up and fired sparks.  
  
Her dad, who was on the floor as well, wobbled up and tried to pounce on her and grab the gun.  
  
Rachel rolled over just in time and kicked the piano bench, which hit her dad in the head.  
  
It didn't phase him. He stopped crawling for a second but got back to his feet.  
  
That was all the time Rachel needed. She got up and ran to the door, fumbling with the lock and the gun.  
  
Her keys! She picked up her backpack and ran around the kitchen for more time to get away from him, and at the same time, she was opening the pocket of her backpack to get to her keys.  
  
She got them. She starting running back to the door but her dad was standing there, smirking. She screamed and fell backwards.  
  
He started walking towards her, slowly. She screamed again and shook her head, crawling backwards until she got to a dead end in the corner of the house. She had nowhere to go.  
  
She picked up the gun. "Don't go any further!" she yelled.  
  
Rachel's dad looked all innocent and said, "Honey, calm down. I ain't gonna hurt you like I did your mother."  
  
"I'm warning you!" she said, pointing the gun at him.  
  
He screamed and jumped at her. She fired.  
  
He fell down, motionless, with blood pouring out of his back and chest.  
  
"Oh my God!" she screamed, breathless. She buried her head in her hands and sobbed. "Oh my God! I would never kill anyone! But I had to, for my own safety! Please forgive me! Oh God!" she cried.  
  
Suddenly, she lifted her head up. The police. She opened her backpack and dumped it out, textbooks falling onto the floor.  
  
She ran upstairs to her room and stuffed some clothes into her backpack. She ran down the stairs into the kitchen, opening the cupboards. She grabbed every snack in there.  
  
Now for the refrigerator. She grabbed apples, breads, and the last cartoon of orange juice.  
  
She ran into the hallway and opened the closet. All she had room for was a blanket. She grabbed it then zipped up the backpack.  
  
She ran for the door, stopping shortly to grab her hat and her mom's big coat.  
  
She unlocked and opened the door. She ran behind the trees and into the woods.  
  
"Oh no!" she yelled.  
  
She ran back into the house and grabbed the gun. She went around back and started digging a deep hole in the garden, burying the gun.  
  
She got up, picked up her backpack, and turned towards the fence. She opened it.  
  
Rachel looked back to the house, the little family she had was gone. Her life had turned upside down in a heartbeat.  
  
"I love you Mom." She cried.  
  
A tear streamed down her face as she stepped over a log and entered the woods. 


	2. The Muderer

"Hello this is Officer Alex Mansley here; we got a white caucasian male, about six foot, bullet wound to the chest." He said through his radio.  
  
There were three police cars in the driveway of the Harrison's residence.  
  
"Yeah, a man called us this morning." Officer Mansley said. "He said he saw a young girl that looked to be around 16 or 17, run out of the house with a black backpack, right after he heard the shootings."  
  
[i]"What's the man's name?"[/i]  
  
"Bob Brody. A twenty-eight year old that lives next door." Mansley said.  
  
[i]"Do you have men investigating the crime scene?"[/i]  
  
"Yes, we have detectives searching the house for any evidence or fingerprints and they're checking the back yard. The man said that the young girl buried the murder weapon in the garden. Can someone look up the Harrison family on the computer?!" The officer yelled out.  
  
"Right away sir."  
  
Minutes later, another officer gave Mansley ten printed sheets of information on the Harrison family.  
  
"Alright. Let's see. The father's name is Dirk Quincy Harrison. Age forty- five, father of two, six foot one, black hair, and dark brown eyes. Mother's name is Karen Lyn Harrison. Age thirty nine, mother of two, maiden name is Sparks, five foot one, blonde hair, blue eyes. She was the one that we found dead in the closet of the suspect's bedroom in the Harrison house an hour ago. The Harrison's first child is named Rachel Grace Harrison. Age seventeen, five foot five, brown hair, hazel eyes. There you go, that's the girl. Then we have Joshua Paul Harrison. Died at the age of 13 with an overdose of Advil last year. That sounds suspicious to me Karl." Officer Mansley said through the radio.  
  
[i]"Yeah, Dirk was drunk when the kid complained of an ordinary headache. He overdosed him." [/i] Karl Miller, over the radio, answered.  
  
"Mmm." Officer Mansley muttered.  
  
"Officer, the weapon was indeed buried in the garden. We checked the gun for fingerprints and it's positive for Rachel and Dirk's prints sir." A detective woman said to Mansley.  
  
He nodded.  
  
"Alright, so it seems to me that the girl shot her mother and hid her in the closet while Mr. Harrison was trying to stop her, who, in turn, got shot himself. This girl's in for a lot of time in jail, if not execution." The Sheriff, Marcus Jones, told Officer Alex Mansley, shaking his head.  
  
Mansley just stood there, thinking. He frowned. He wasn't convinced. He needed a good reason as to why Rachel would do such a thing. Then, an idea popped into his head. Rachel's diary...  
  
Rachel climbed out of the woods on the other side of town. She looked around until she found the local gas station. She opened the door and walked in.  
  
"Hello there young lady! How may I help you today?" The Chinese cashier smiled as he walked around the counter.  
  
Rachel smiled a fake smile. "Oh, I'm just looking, thanks."  
  
"Alright, but if you need anything, just holler! I'll be right over here." He said, pointing to behind the counter.  
  
"Okay..."  
  
"Alrighty then..." he muttered other words under his breath as he started counting the money in the tip jar, but Rachel couldn't make out what it was.  
  
Rachel went down the first isle that had all sorts of chips and pretzels. She started to sob, and then her stomach made gurgling sounds. She ran into the bathroom and vomited. She sobbed some more. She slowly got up to shut and lock the door. The room was spinning and she felt nauseous again. She sat down on the floor in the corner, put her head in her hands, and cried.  
  
Rachel was so confused. She didn't know what to do. Her mother was dead when she wasn't even finished grieving about her brother. Now she shot her own drunken father with the gun that killed her mother. Her head was still bleeding, soaking through the hat, and her back had an enormous bruise from the parts of the ceiling that fell down upon her.  
  
She washed her hands and face and opened the door. She grabbed a first aid kit and walked up to the counter.  
  
"Is that all young lady?" The Chinese man asked.  
  
She nodded.  
  
She paid the man, and right when she was about to open the door, the Chinese man called, "Hey! You're on the news!"  
  
Rachel froze and ran up to the TV that was on the counter.  
  
Sure enough, her picture was on breaking news with her name right below the picture, just like real criminals.  
  
"Hello. I'm Susanne Garner with latest on the shootings in Victoria, Texas. I'm here with twenty-eight year old Bob Brody. Mr. Brody, what is it that you saw earlier today at the Harrison's house that was so intriguing, and can you give a detailed description of the murderer?"  
  
[i]Murderer? I'm no murderer. How could they call me that?[/i] she thought  
  
"Well, I saw a girl about sixteen run out of the house with a gun. Then I saw her bury it in the backyard there." He said, pointing at the crowd of investigators.  
  
"She had real short hair, probably about to here," he said, putting his finger to the middle of his neck, "I couldn't see her eyes. Um, well.she had black cargo pants, blue skateboarding shoes, a blue tee shirt that had red writing on it, but I couldn't read out the words because a jean jacket was in the way."  
  
Rachel looked at her shirt, which said 'Tommy Girl' on it.  
  
"The Officers that investigated the shooting have declared the young woman of seventeen, guilty of the charges of killing her mother and father, and then covering it up soon after. That will soon be clarified once they have found the runaway girl, and taken her to court. That's all for now, we'll be back with Sheriff Jones, head of the investigation, in a few moments. This is Susanne Garner, eye witness news. Back to you."  
  
Rachel gasped and started walking backwards.  
  
The cashier looked shocked, but not for long. He grabbed the phone and dialed 911.  
  
Rachel ran out the door and sprinted into an alleyway. She found a dark corner with a tiny hiding place and snuck in. She was panting, trying to catch her breath. Her heart was beating so fast, it hurt. Rachel's head pounded.  
  
"I didn't know anyone else knew about my secret hiding place." A voice said.  
  
Rachel screamed. A flashlight clicked on to reveal a girl Rachel's age.  
  
"Jesus! You scared me!" Rachel said, clutching her chest.  
  
"Sorry, I have a knack for doing that." She said. "I'm Caitlyn, but most people call me Cate."  
  
"I'm Rachel." She said.  
  
"Hi," Caitlyn said.  
  
"Hi."  
  
"What're you doing here?" Rachel asked.  
  
"I'm meeting someone." She said.  
  
"Why? Why here?" she asked.  
  
"It's kind of a long story. You see, my parents left my when I was little, and I had no other family. So I've been gambling for food and money ever since I was young, when I busted out of an orphanage." Caitlyn said.  
  
"Oh wow. I'm sorry." Rachel said.  
  
"It's okay. I'm used to it. It's just the way I have to live."  
  
"I suppose it's the way I'm gonna have to live too." Rachel muttered.  
  
"Why?" Cate asked.  
  
"It's a really long and violent story. To make it shorter, I'll leave out some small details. My dad has always been abusive towards me and my mom. He's a druggy. Earlier today, he killed my mother and tried to kill me. But I got the gun and shot him." Rachel said, wincing. It's as almost if saying it made it final. She admitted it.  
  
Cate looked down, "Did you kill him?"  
  
"I don't know." Rachel started crying again. "He didn't move! And there was blood all over the floor!" She sobbed.  
  
"Shhhh. Shhh." Cate said, comforting Rachel as must as she could. "Your head. It's bleeding bad."  
  
"I know, and it hurts too."  
  
"Well of course. Here, gimme that first aid kit." Cate said, grabbing the kit.  
  
Rachel took off the hat and scooted towards Cate.  
  
"Ooh, ouch. How'd this happen?" she asked.  
  
"I fell on the coffee table at my house when I was running from my dad." Rachel said, wiping her face.  
  
"I'm really sorry."  
  
Rachel nodded.  
  
"Oh but please don't tell anyone what happened! I'll get in so much trouble!" Rachel pleaded.  
  
Caitlyn shook her head. "Don't worry. I won't tell a soul."  
  
Rachel sighed in relief. "Thank you so much. You don't know how much that means to me."  
  
"Caitlyn Jacobs?" A voice said through the darkness.  
  
"That's me." Cate said, all tough. "Hold on a sec." she said as she finished patching up Rachel's head.  
  
Caitlyn's attitude was completely different as she gambled with the boy. More tough and confident.  
  
Rachel had a feeling that Cate was going to be a good friend. At least she'd have a way of getting shelter and money.  
  
Cate won fifty dollars.  
  
"I usually win more, but I could tell that kid was broke!" she laughed.  
  
Rachel smiled, "I have some snacks, a blanket, and one carton of orange juice in my backpack, if you want some."  
  
"Oh! Thanks girl! I haven't been able to show my face in the stores lately because a police saw me break into the store and steal some bread. My gosh, thank you so much." Cate said.  
  
Rachel nodded.  
  
Ever since the shootings, Rachel has felt like a different person. She had a gloomy feeling about her. She didn't want to talk or make any facial expression. Not as much as she used to anyway. She didn't know anymore if she was a good person or a bad person. What she did was out of total defense though, or was it? 


	3. Mansley's Discovery

Officer Alex Mansley entered the Harrison home, tried his best to get past the reporters and investigators, and climbed his way up the stairs to Rachel's bedroom. The investigators had already gone through Rachel's room, but Officer Mansley still tried his best not to get any prints on anything.   
  
Instantly, Mansley could tell that she was a tomboy, and would never wear the color pink with ruffles. She'd rather be a skateboarder than a ballerina. There is so much that you can tell about one's personality by one's room. There were no curtains on the windows, which were square and right down by the floor. Her ceiling tilted downward as he walked toward her bed, which looked to be a handmade quilt with colors blue (lots of different shades) white, and dark purple.   
  
First, he tackled Rachel's dresser and nightstand drawers. Nothing. He looked under the bed and in corners, her closet. But again, found nothing. He was just about to lose hope when he walked across the floor, hearing a creak as he stepped down. He looked down to find a red and dark purple rug. He squatted down, pivoted his weight to the left of his body, and lifted the rug up with his right hand.   
  
Success! He found a loose floorboard, about 5 feet long. He opened it to find pens and paper with little handmade dream catchers. Postcards from friends in distant countries and states, some chocolate. There were quite a few books; Mansley could tell just by looking at the books that she loves literature, and loves to read. She's got "Dracula" by Bram Stoker, "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott, "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald, "Hamlet" and "Romeo & Juliet" by Sir William Shakespeare, "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings Trilogy" by J.R.R. Tolkien, "The Old Man and the Sea" by Ernest Hemmingway, "House of Sand and Fog" by Andre Dubus III, and "Harry Potter" by J.K. Rowling.  
  
A lot of classics. Mansley could get along with this girl, she has good taste.  
  
Finally, at the very end of the compartment, he saw a red velvet book with gold lined pages. Though he felt guilty for reading a young girl's diary, he had to for the sake of her life, and the life of others.   
  
He read….  
  
I know I haven't written in a while…I just haven't found the time, strength, and chance to re-live everything that's happened in the past week. Dad's getting worse. He's brought home bags and bags of drugs every night. Mom can't do this; it's not good for her health. She doesn't want me to get caught up in everything that he is. Yesterday he asked me to get drugs for him, since the teenagers around here get better kinds. I just said flat out no. That's not who I am, even if I'm not going to use them, even if they're for him….well, especially if they're for him. The last thing I'm going to do is help him with his addiction problem, to make him more high to beat up mom. I can't stand that. Mom's told me lots of times before that if she had money, she'd get us out of here. But she can't. I hate money. People have to have money to be happy, and those who DO have money…take it all for granted and are snotty rich jerks.   
Dad threatened to kill mom last night. I was so scared, I was shaking, and so was my mom. He beat her so bad. I thought he really was going to kill her, but he was too drunk and high to follow through with it, and he wasn't nearly fast enough to even catch mom. I try my best to get on with it and try to make it through another day. I'm not suicidal, I would never even think of that. Unless something incredibly devastating should ever happen. Killing myself because of my dad is not good enough, what a waste. All I know is that I'm not going to ruin my life, or the lives of others for that matter, over dad. Never. All that does is make him win. And that will not happen. That's the last thing on earth that will happen.   
  
I better stop writing, if my dad sees this he'll probably kill me. I have to go eat dinner anyway.   
  
Rachel  
  
Alex Mansley nearly fell down the stairs as he ran outside to show this to Sheriff Jones.   
  
"Wake up right now Rachel!" It was Caitlyn shaking her and whispering in her ear as loud as whispering could get, until turned into yelling.  
  
Rachel jerked up, her heart beating…already nervous and sensing that something was indeed very wrong. "What is it Cate?"  
  
"It's the police! Somehow they've found us. Me and Courtney know a secret way out of that alleyway over there….it'll be ladders, roofs, and pretty tight tunnel, but it's out only way out of juvenile jail!"  
  
"Oh my god." Rachel climbed out of bed…threw her shoes on and her stuff into her pillowcase, and dashed out of the car.   
  
Caitlyn led the way with Courtney and Rachel right on her tail. They went to every possible nook and cranny to hide in and every single corner to turn and run around. They went up steep ladders, jumped from rooftop to rooftop…went through tunnels that Rachel had no idea what people used them for, until finally they couldn't run anymore. Right there at the bottom of the building where the girl got off the ladder, were 3 cops.  
  
"You girls sure do have a lot of nerve to run, and make your sentence a lot worse than it would've been. Gambling, robbing, disturbance of peace, destruction of property, and just the fact that all of you are under the age of 18." The Officer stated.  
  
Caitlyn and Courtney were just shocked and very scared at what their sentences were going to be. Rachel didn't feel only that….but also she speculated at the fact of why he didn't mention the word 'murder'. She was extremely grateful, yet she didn't understand why he of all types of people wouldn't already know about the murder report that was on the news. Hell! he should be one of the ones looking for her! Rachel then had the weirdest feeling inside her stomach, and she knew that it wasn't just anxiety.  
  
The next day, the girls were sitting in the court room, waiting for the verdict to be announced from the judge.   
  
He sighed, "It seems to me that you girls have been stirring up the resting birds these past couple months." The girls rolled their eyes, what an old and lame saying.   
  
"So here's what I'm going to do. I am going to give all of you a choice. A choice to decide what you're going to do."  
  
'Oh my god get on with it.' Rachel thought to herself.  
  
"Your choices are going to jail, or Camp Green Lake which is a Juvenile Correctional Facility……..for boys." He added.  
  
"Who the hell cares!" Rachel yelled, "I know I don't….take me to Camp!"   
  
Caitlyn and Courtney smiled at her attitude, but Cate new deep inside that what she said was out of anger and impatience, not humor.   
  
"18 months, Camp Green Lake."   
  
So Caitlyn and Courtney followed Rachel in her decision….soon they'll see what they're getting themselves into. Sure, it's better than jail…but soon they are going to want to spit at the name 'Camp Green Lake'….or rather, 'Yellow-Spotted Lizards'. 


	4. The Truth About Dirk

[TWO WEEKS LATER]  
  
In the time that Rachel spent at camp, nothing bothered her very much….digging all day in the hot sun, putting up with the boys, and having hardly any water. And truly, the Yellow Spotted Lizards didn't seem to come near her. Rachel was beginning to think that the lizards thought she was one of them. The bitterness, and the cold feeling she had.   
  
Rachel thinks too much about what happened that night with her dad. She has begun to doubt herself and her judgement. She doesn't feel like it was out of defense for her life…but anyone would know that she would've died if she didn't shoot her father. But she's beginning to feel like a murderer, like what she saw on the news just 15 days earlier. They were right, she is a murderer. She belongs in this Juvenile Facility. Whether it's for boys or not. She belongs here.  
  
By now she had already figured out the boys. Their names, nicknames, the reasons to their nicknames, their personalities and attitudes, their crime, and she knows exactly what they'll say to anything anyone else will say. She knows them too well, they're too predictable. Except for these two boys. Zero and Squid. Zero doesn't talk much at all about anything, which, to Rachel, sometimes seems dark….like he has a dark secret. Which makes it harder to observe him and his habits. But Rachel doesn't intend to find out, invading his privacy just to find out something that, she knows, is no importance to her. She wouldn't want anyone doing that with her.  
  
One night Rachel woke up to someone crying, and another person trying to comfort him. It was Squid, who made Caveman swear not to tell anyone about him crying. Rachel never told anyone about what she saw. Not even Caitlyn or Courtney.   
  
Squid doesn't seem like the kind of person that would cry, his impression is more of a tough bad who doesn't have much feelings. But that's what Rachel's impression is to everyone else, she expects. But she does cry, like Squid. And that is something that Rachel can relate to with him. Though Squid and Rachel have never spoke, just an occasional glance with their eyes every so often, she does feel that there's a connection between the two of them. Just from gestures and feelings…especially emotions that they express through their eyes. He is interesting, but not attractive to her. She doesn't have those feelings for boys anymore. It's all different now because of what happened that night. But she knows what it's like to be in love. That was a long time ago…   
  
"Yo! Rachel! You comin' or not?" It was X-Ray, the boss of the tent. Rachel had been deep in thought, she realized  
  
"Yeah!" Rachel yelled out, as . she looked forward more to look at the rest of the tent member, who were further ahead, making their way to their new location to dig another hole. She spotted only one of the girls, Courtney, who was starring and following one of the boys. She was boy crazy. Rachel found humor in Courtney's actions with the boy, but it was no kind of entertainment to her. It seemed pointless. But she does enjoy fantasizing about the idea of being loved and cared for by that perfect someone.   
  
"Hey X! Where's Cate?" Rachel called out.  
  
X-Ray pointed, "In Mr. Sir's cabin." He yelled back.  
  
"Did she get in trouble?" Rachel asked.  
  
"No, he just wanted to speak to her, I don't know." He answered, yelling back again.  
  
Rachel felt a tint of worry. She know nothing awfully horrible could happen, it was already torture for Cate by being here, but she had been Rachel's only friend through all of this, and she's the only one, besides Courtney, that knows about her crime.  
  
Rachel waited a little while longer to see if Cate would emerge from Mr. Sir's office door, before following X-Ray to the others.   
  
Officer Mansley's heartbeat rapidly increased. He turned the wheel of his police car sharply to the left, which led him right to the rear of a car that he has been following, the car of Mr. Harrison, Rachel's father. All Officer Mansley needed were those two weeks to discover that Dirk Harrison was indeed still alive, and that Rachel had not killed him with that gunshot.   
  
Special thanks to Caitlyn and lala0210 for reminding me to update, and being a fan of my story! And also a huge thanks to my reviewers: Michael Taravera, Allisonhope, Nosilla, and loviedove. (By the way, loviedove, I am sorry for the confusion of the character Courtney...the rest of the reviewers already knew that I was going to pop in a character like that. They knew the background...the deal was, was that Courtney was gambling with Caitlyn, but not at the time that Rachel first met Cate. I hope that it wasn't an inconvenience for you! Let me know if you have any more questions!) 


	5. Worthless

Rachel stepped down hard on her shovel to pull out only her 5th shovel full of dirt. She looked over at Zero, who, already, had more dirt out of his whole than in. Once again, X-Ray and Armpit were making their pointless, yet rude, remarks toward Zero and Stanley. Rachel doesn't talk when she digs, it gives away more of her energy. She might as well keep silent and use up her energy to get out of the hot sun. She started speeding up….  
  
"Who here had animals before you got sent to Camp Green Lake?" the Hispanic boy asked, who was named Magnet.   
  
"I did! One of them little grasshoppers always hopped around in my room." Armpit said.  
  
"I know you did Pit, I was asking them." X-Ray snapped.  
  
"I didn't." Stanley answered.  
  
"I had a puppy, but it got ran over by a car." Squid said, who glanced over at Rachel to see if she was listening. Her eyes were still fixed on the dirt she was shoveling, but she saw him out of her peripheral vision. And she was listening.   
  
Magnet didn't have any animals, which was why he stole a puppy from a store, and because he felt really bad about it. Which is what got him here in the first place.  
  
Zero didn't answer, and Zigzag said that he did have a cat once, named Twizzlers, who had his hair burned off when Zigzag caught it on fire. Supposedly by accident.  
  
"Did Rachel have any animal, I wonder?" X-Ray said sarcastically.  
  
Squid side-glanced at X-Ray.   
  
Rachel didn't change her rhythm of digging, and acted like she didn't even hear them, on purpose, just to see their reaction. Rachel didn't even know why she did, whether because she was bitter, or because she just wanted to get some attention and have fun, something she needs a lot more of around here. Especially now that her life's gone renegade.  
  
"I said," X-Ray said, cupping his hands around his mouth, "Did Rachel have any animal, I wonder?"  
  
"It's no use man," Armpit said, "she's worthless."  
  
Rachel kept digging like nothing was said, but nevertheless, she was hurting inside. Armpit should've never said that. Now her whole idea of trying to get someone to have fun with her, was gone. She had no determination for any of that anymore.  
  
"Dude maybe she doesn't even want to talk to you." Squid said in his southern accent, half jokingly to make X-Ray believe that Squid was on his side.  
  
X-Ray made the weirdest look, shook his head, and went back to his digging. Rachel, for once, started to grin the smallest grin. She just made sure nobody saw.   
  
At the end of the day, still no sign of Caitlyn. Zero had walked back to camp a lot sooner then everyone else, as always, and next to be finished was Rachel. She showered quickly and put her clean orange jumpsuit over her white tank top. She grabbed her hairbrush and her dirty clothes from the ground, went to the tent and sat down on her cot, while combing out her hair.   
  
She turned the volume all the way up on her Walkman CD player so she could hear it without putting it on her ears. Though the song boomed loudly from her headphones, she wasn't even listening. Her thoughts lingered. She kept thinking about this one song she had heard once, that she thought was sad, dark, and maybe even a little depressing. It's like the person that the song was talking about was screaming for somebody's help. She sat there frozen of a horrible heart-piercing realization, that this song truly and deeply applied to her now….  
  
LYRICS  
  
[I]How can you see into my eyes like open doors   
  
Leading you down into my core  
  
where I've become so numb   
  
Without a soul. My spirit sleeping somewhere cold  
  
Until you find it there and lead it back home  
  
(Wake me up)  
  
Wake me up inside  
  
(I can't wake up)  
  
Wake me up inside  
  
(Save me)  
  
Call my name and save me from the dark  
  
(Wake me up)  
  
Bid my blood to run  
  
(I can't wake up)  
  
Before I come undone  
  
(Save me)  
  
Save me from the nothing I've become  
  
Now that I know what I'm without,  
  
You can't just leave me  
  
Breathe into me and make me real  
  
Bring me to life  
  
(Wake me up)  
  
Wake me up inside  
  
(I can't wake up)  
  
Wake me up inside  
  
(Save me)  
  
Call my name and save me from the dark  
  
(Wake me up)  
  
Bid my blood to run  
  
(I can't wake up)  
  
Before I come undone  
  
(Save me)  
  
Save me from the nothing I've become  
  
Bring me to life  
  
(I've been living a lie, there's nothing inside)  
  
Bring me to life  
  
Frozen inside without your touch, without your love, darling. Only you are the life among the dead.  
  
All this time I can't believe I couldn't see  
  
kept in the dark but you were there in front of me  
  
I've been sleeping a thousand years it seems  
  
got to open my eyes to everything  
  
Without a thought without a voice without a soul  
  
Don't let me die here  
  
There must be something more  
  
Bring me to life[/I]  
  
END OF LYRICS  
  
At that moment, Rachel found that she was that person, needing someone to breathe the life into her. She was calling somebody who cares to come and save her. She was screaming inside, though no one hears her. Does anyone hear her? Can anyone help her? She felt "kept in the dark" and that someone was in front of her, egging her on to become a good person. But who was that?? A vast amount of anger overcome her and she grabbed her CD player and threw it onto the floor, which caused it to smash into pieces, the CD broke, the headphones broke, and the cover of the whole Walkman broke off.   
  
She pulled her knees to her chest, and covered her face with her hands, which were resting on her knees, and just burst into tears. She never, ever would've thought that she could relate to this song. Of course she had horrible times with her drunken father and her beaten mother, not to mention her late brother, but she had never considered herself alone, in the dark, or in too awful of pain. She had her mother's love. Which was everything in the world. Now it's gone, and there was nothing she could do about it. And she will never have that love again.  
  
The moment that she threw her CD player, Squid walked in and had to dodge the flying object. He saw Rachel crying and ran over to her and kneeled down on the side of her cot.  
  
He tried to comfort her, but she didn't even know that his hand was resting on her foot and he was looking up at her face. He knew how she felt.  
  
She kept sobbing, and then suddenly stopped. She lifted her head, her hair stuck in her tears, as she looking at Squid.   
  
"W-what're you doing in here? Why aren't you with the others in the Wreck Room?" Rachel asked.  
  
"The guys wanted to know if you wanted to come and play pool with us. I knew what your answer was going to be, so I came to see if you wanted any company." Squid answered.  
  
Rachel sniffed and wiped her eyes with her sleeve. She got up and went over to pick up her now ruined CD player. Without looking up, Rachel answered, "Uh, I don't think so. I don't know. I do and don't. Now that this happened I feel a little vulnerable around you."   
  
"Don't," Squid said, "You didn't tell anyone about me cryin', so I sure as hell won't tell anyone about you."  
  
Rachel got up and had her hands full with plastic, looked at him, and nodded.  
  
"Then I'll come and play pool." Rachel said, nodding.   
  
That was the first time Rachel and Squid had spoke directly. Out of the 3 weeks she's been there, it was the first time. And for the first time, she felt a hint of importance.   
  
But little did she know of what would happen when she did go to play pool, what a mistake. Even Squid wouldn't be able to persuade her to do anything she didn't want to do. Ever again.  
  
HUGE special thanks to all my reviewers! Yall are the best! Keep it up! Thanks! 


	6. The Memory of Joshua

The song in this chapter is called "My Immortal" by Evanescence.  
  
Rachel set the plastic on her cot. She grabbed her hair tie and tied her hair high up into a messy tight ponytail. Then she followed Squid into the Wreck Room where there were 3 pool tables, each one was occupied with campers playing competitive games.  
  
The large CD player in the Wreck Room, boomed loud hard rock music, which Rachel doesn't care for anymore, since she's already angry inside, and especially from what happened moments earlier.  
  
"You ready Squid?" X-Ray asked, clearly annoyed. Rachel took the hint, and realized that the 'guys' didn't send Squid over to ask her to play pool, they wouldn't care either way.  
  
"Yeah I'm ready." Rachel answered strongly, her hands on her hips, cutting off Squid. X-Ray just smirked.  
  
They started playing the game, Squid and Rachel on one team…since nobody else wanted her on their team because she was a girl, and X-Ray was on Armpit's team.  
  
"You better be ready to get your ss kicked." X-Ray noted.   
  
"Rachel!" A voice called her from the other room. It was Cate!  
  
"Caitlyn? What happened to you?" Rachel asked, with a smile.  
  
"Mr. Sir kept me from digging today, I have no idea why. He said something about too many girls out there on the lake belonging to only one tent. I think it had something to do with The Warden and her stupid complaints. He also said that more girls are going to be arriving soon." Caitlyn explained.  
  
Rachel scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Typical." she said.  
  
Cate laughed. "Yeah, that's right. Anyway, you gonna play a game? Whose team are you on?"  
  
"I'm on Squid's, against X-Ray and Armpit." Rachel answered.  
  
"Aww ok, so if I get on your team, it won't be even will it…?" Cate said.  
  
"Unless someone else wants to play." Squid said.  
  
"I'll play." Zigzag said from the couch, who, previously, had been staring at a no good TV set, "Nothing good is on anyway." he added.  
  
"Wait a sec, where's Courtney?" Cate asked.   
  
Rachel pointed at the corner of the Wreck Room, where Courtney was in deep in conversation with Magnet. Cate turned her head back to Rachel and smiled a flirtatious smile, meaning that Court is 'in love' again. Rachel smiled with a small chuckle.  
  
"Are we ready to play?" X-Ray asked, holding his hand up in the air, the other holding his cue stick tightly.   
  
"Yeah, just having a little girl conversation while you were waiting so very patiently," Rachel said, and then added, "wouldn't interest you much."   
  
Squid and Cate chuckled.  
  
"Let's play." Rachel said.  
  
Everyone got their cue and finally started the pool game that X-Ray and Armpit had been waiting for with much anticipation. With Squid, Cate, and Rachel on one team, and Armpit, X-Ray, and Zigzag on the other.   
  
"So, who made up yall's nicknames?" Cate asked, trying to make a good conversation besides the competitive remarks that the campers shared.   
  
"Mainly just me, I figure out what they do and link it to a good nickname." X-Ray said proudly. Too proudly.  
  
"Oh so how did you come up with the name 'Zero' then? Doesn't sound like anyone besides you would fit that description." Rachel said with much confidence. Cate and Squid lowered their cue sticks and watched as X-Ray and Rachel led a conversation, each time getting more and more clever.  
  
X-Ray glared. "You know man, I'm gettin' mighty sick of your shit." he said.  
  
"I'm sure Hector is mighty sick of yours." Rachel said, looking over to where Zero was sitting in the corner alone, watching the game. His eyes filled with warmth when she looked over.  
  
X-Ray used his cue to tap Zero's foot, "Looks like you got yourself a girlfriend, Zero."   
  
Instantly, Zero's face tightened up, and Squid noticed….so did Rachel's.  
  
"You just need to get a fcking life!" Rachel screamed at the top of her lungs.   
  
"Hopefully I do because I wouldn't want to turn out like your brother." X-Ray said, again…proud of his comeback.  
  
Rachel's breathe skipped, and she started to breathe heavily. She felt dizzy as she stared into X-Ray's proud face, with Armpit right next to him, starring at her with his arms folded.  
  
"Why the hll did you have to bring that up??" Squid yelled, throwing down his cue stick, confronting X-Ray.  
  
Cate grabbed Squid's elbow and said, "No fights, that would make it worse for Rachel."  
  
Rachel remembered Joshua's cold face at his burial; her only brother's death had haunted her all her life. And she remembered how her father had been absent at his funeral, with Rachel and her mother in tears. All her life since Josh's death had been different, she felt him there with her. And if he had to die, she wished that she could just get over it.  
  
_I'm so tired of being here  
  
Suppressed by all my, childish fears  
  
And if you have to leave  
  
I wish that you would just leave  
  
'Cause your presence still lingers here  
  
And it won't leave me alone   
  
These wounds won't seem to heal  
  
This pain is just too real  
  
There's just too much that time cannot erase  
  
When you cried I'd, wipe away all of your tears  
  
When you'd scream I'd, fight away all of your fears  
  
I held your, hand through all of these years  
  
But you still have…  
  
All of me_  
  
Slowly, huge teardrops started streaming down Rachel's clean smooth face. The music and the voices had disappeared. She couldn't hear, all she heard was the beating of her heart, quickening with every thought she had. All she could see was Armpit and X-Ray still standing strong, Zigzag had left to go watch TV, and Squid yelling and Cate holding him back. No sound. No dialogue. She felt frozen, she couldn't move.  
  
Suddenly she heard the last words of her brother's voice, the voice that Rachel had a longing to hear….  
  
**  
  
FLASHBACK**  
  
Rachel looked out the window to see Joshua tossing a baseball up in the air and catching in his glove.   
  
"What're you doing Josh!?" Rachel called.  
  
"I'm waitin' for Charlie and Owen to get here!" he answered, his southern accent clear as ever.  
  
"Alright but if Dad comes home, sneak in the back!" Rachel yelled out, making sure that Joshua would be safe.  
  
"I know! Oh, they're here! I'll be back tonight. I love you Rachel." he said.  
  
**END  
  
**_I love you Rachel…Rachel…Rachel……I love you.  
  
_  
It echoed inside Rachel's head. That night when Josh came home, their father decided to try out his drugs with Josh, to see the affect. Rachel went out to get the mail while her mother was out getting groceries, when she came back to see a different Josh. That was all the time Rachel's father needed to overdose Josh. His face had been sunken and his eyes looked cold. 10 minutes later, Joshua died.  
  
Rachel had always thought that she could've saved him. But a chain of events happened that made it impossible to have a chance to keep him alive. Ever since then, Rachel had always blamed herself for her only brother's death.  
  
_You used to captivate me  
  
By your resonating light  
  
Now I'm bound by the life you left behind  
  
Your face it haunts  
  
My once pleasant dreams  
  
Your voice it chased away  
  
All the sanity in me  
  
These wounds won't seem to heal  
  
This pain is just too real  
  
There's just too much that time cannot erase  
  
I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone  
  
But though you're still with me  
  
I've been alone all along  
  
_  
Rachel started to lean over, she felt sick, and she put her hand on the side of the pool table. Zero got up and walked over to her, but just as that happened…she instantly felt well again.  
  
She just got over the shock of hearing somebody speak of her brother's death in that way, and now the anger and pain came. Tears started pouring out of Rachel's eyes uncontrollably and she felt like she was going to burst if she didn't get energy out or scream. So she whipped herself around and ran out of the Wreck Room with Cate and Squid calling after her. Everyone else in the Wreck Room stopped what they were doing to run over to the window or door and watch Rachel.  
  
"Do you what you did?? You're a complete creep who doesn't care about ANYBODY!!" Squid started having a fit, along with Cate, who no longer tried to hold Squid back. This time, Squid was running after Rachel, with Cate close behind him. It's amazing how those two people can care for Rachel so much just over 3 weeks' time. Was she really _that_ obvious about how she needed someone's love?  
  
Rachel ran and looked around her like she had no clue where she was. Joshua was feet from her, calling her, needing her help. She was running, but not very fast…tripping and falling every so often. It was killing her that she couldn't reach Josh. Every step she took he got further and further away, drifting in the heat of the horizon. She stopped, out of breath, and collapsed.  
  
She sobbed, feeling the pain not only of her brother's death, but of her mother's also. Dirt and sand was getting in her mouth, she coughed, breathing it in her nose.   
  
Instantly she felt someone at her side…but things were going in slow motion to her now. It was Squid, who grabbed her shoulder and turned her over, lifting her head up from the dirt. Cate sat down and put Rachel's head on her lap.  
  
"Rachel! Rachel!" Squid tried to wake her from her dreaming, but she was awake.  
  
"No! Let go of me." she said, "it's Joshua."   
  
"What?" Cate said.  
  
"Look," Rachel pointed, "it's him…he…I…let me go, I can save him! I won't let him die this time…." her voice trailed off as her eyes moved to the side, where Squid was sitting, and her eyes slowly closed.  
  
"Oh God." Squid said.  
  
"I knew she was hurting but, I didn't know it was this bad! She must not have gotten the care that she needed when her brother died. She was alone." Cate said.  
  
Squid's ear was by Rachel's mouth.  
  
"She's breathing." he said. He picked up Rachel, with Cate by his side, and started carrying her back to camp. 


	7. The Dismissed Charges

"F900 this is G14, do you copy?!" It was Officer Alex Mansley, trying his best to not let go of the wheel while trying to get backup through his walkie-talkie.  
  
"G14 to F900! G14 to F900 we have a situation here. The man presumed dead, known as Mr. Dirk Harrison, Rachel's father, is indeed still alive, do you copy?"  
  
No answer.  
  
"Goddammit!" Mansley yelled, throwing down his walkie-talkie as he turned the wheel sharply to the right.  
  
"Who the hell does he think he is?" he yelled again.  
  
He turned again, no Dirk Harrison.   
  
"Shit where'd he go." Mansley said to himself.  
  
Dirk Harrison had simply disappeared.

* * *

Rachel awoke to silence. She opened her eyes and saw the ugly green of the tent above her. She let out a sigh of relief, it was so nice to wake up to silence, no horrible buzzing sound of the horn and no shuffling of feet, no talking. Wait a minute, why not?  
  
She turned her head and saw Squid sitting on the cot next to her. She sighed again, feeling comfort from being in his presence.  
  
"Hi." she whispered.  
  
"Hey." he said.  
  
She closed her eyes shortly and opened them again. She looked at Squid, and he looked back. Neither one of them knew what to say.  
  
"Um…w-…uh, what happened?" Rachel asked slowly.  
  
"You fainted yesterday, and I took you back here." Squid answered.  
  
"No, I don't mean that. I mean what happened," she paused, "to me?"  
  
Squid shook his head. "It's not a bad thing…it's…you're hurting." he said.  
  
"No," Rachel shook her head, "I couldn't take it, I couldn't control myself. I couldn't…." she stopped.  
  
Squid shook his head again. "It's just something that hurts you, it's a delicate thing to talk about. I know what that feels like. But it was especially bad for you because of what X-Ray said."  
  
"How did he know what happened to my brother? What else does he know about me?" Rachel asked rudely, feeling anger rise in her temper, getting up from the cot.  
  
Squid got up, "I don't know. But I think you should stay away from him for a while."  
  
"No! You're not going to tell me what to do! I'm not a child! If I want to talk to him, I will talk to him! Nothing's going to stop me!" Rachel snapped, walking out of the tent with frustration.   
  
Squid sighed and said, "Okay."   
  
Rachel stormed down the wasteland and into the Wreck Room, nobody was there. She stormed back out and just walked around the camp, slowing to a walk.  
  
She sighed, "What makes him think he can talk to me that way?" she said rudely to herself.   
  
"Great, where is everyone?"  
  
She walked back in the Wreck Room and looked around.  
  
"What makes him think he can talk to me that way!?" Rachel repeated, yelling this time. She walked over to the pool table, grabbed a blue solid ball and threw it into the wall. It crushed a hole into it and the ball stuck inside.  
  
She slowly, slowly walked over to where Zero sat the last time she saw him, her head down at her feet, and she turned around, putting her back against the wall. She slowly sunk down to a sitting position, curled up like a ball.   
  
She wiped a tear from her face as soon as it fell from her eye, and she looked up to see Squid standing in the doorway.  
  
"Do you ever give up?!" she asked rudely.  
  
He shook his head, and didn't move.  
  
After some silence, Rachel said, "What'd you want?"  
  
Squid tilted his head to the other side and he walked over to her. He sat down next to her and looked straight ahead.  
  
"What'd you want?" Rachel asked again.  
  
"I came to tell you where X-Ray is." he said.  
  
"Oh-ho-ho, so now you want me to go talk to him. Huh. Unbelievable." she said, shaking her head and looking down.  
  
"No, I wanted to tell you that I don't think that you're a child. And that you can make your own decisions as you want. X-Ray's out digging his hole." Squid said.  
  
"Well, why aren't you?" Rachel asked, trying to catch him in a mistake.  
  
Squid grunted and got up, walking to the doorway of the Wreck Room.  
  
"I'm not digging my hole because I told the Warden I'd dig two tomorrow instead." he answered.  
  
"Why would anybody do that?" Rachel snapped.  
  
"Nobody would." Squid said.  
  
"But you did. That's the whole point." Rachel said.  
  
"I did because I wanted to stay there until you woke up." Squid said. Rachel looked up, but he had already walked out of the Wreck Room.

* * *

Officer Alex Mansley slammed the door open to the Police Department.   
  
"You get him?" Another man asked.  
  
"Not even close! Got away. Dammit why didn't they answer? I need backup for goodness sakes!" Officer Mansley fumed. He slammed himself into a chair next to a desk in the station and put his head back. He put his hands over his eyes and then fed his fingers through his hair. He sighed.  
  
A woman officer came walking toward where Officer Mansley was sitting, and slammed some papers on a desk.  
  
"What's this?" Mansley asked.  
  
"Evidence." she said proudly.  
  
"Of…?" Mansley said.  
  
"Of Joshua Harrison's death, of Dirk's EXACT criminal charges, and of Mrs. Harrison's death as well." she said, "We've got it all here. Now all we have to do is catch Dirk Harrison." she eyed Mansley.  
  
"Hey what was I supposed to do? You left me hangin' out there!" Mansley snapped. He got up from the chair and picked up the files that the woman set down.  
  
Mansley looked wide-eyed, "Cocaine? He tried Cocaine on his own son? That son of a…"  
  
"Yes, it's all true. His son died minutes after. We never got this evidence before because it was a closed case, everyone assumed that Dirk was dead."  
  
"Why?" Mansley asked.  
  
"He just disappeared. Went out of the country for a while, in hiding…he came back to the US when his charges were dismissed."   
  
"Whoever dismissed them was a moron." he said.  
  
"Um...well, you did sir." she said.  
  
"What?" Mansley stammered.  
  
"It's true, we closed the case and you dismissed his charges."

* * *

Thanks SO much to all of my reviewers! Yall are awesome!  



	8. The Kiss

That night at the Mess Hall, Squid and Rachel didn't speak, or make eye contact. And Rachel didn't even bother to talk to X-Ray, what good would it do anyway? It'll only make things worse.  
  
The campers got in line for their dinner of smashed up green beans and old tomato soup. Rachel was 2 people away from dishing up hers, when she leaned back to find Squid. There he was, dishing up his food.   
  
Rachel narrowed her eyes and went back to grab her plate. _How could he just act like nothing happened?_ She thought.  
  
"Hey Rache!" It was Caitlyn.  
  
"Oh, hey Cate. How ya doin'?"   
  
"I'm fine, it's you that should be answering that question!" she said with a smile. "How are you?"  
  
"I'm okay actually. I don't know what came over me last night. I don't know, it felt like my brother died all over again." she said.  
  
Cate nodded sympathetically, "You know…Squid didn't dig his hole today, for you."  
  
"Yeah I know." Rachel said, this time not with bitterness.  
  
Caitlyn and Rachel already dished up their meal and made their way to the D-Table.   
  
"Uh, I don't wanna sit by either of them." Rachel said, meaning X-Ray and Squid.  
  
"Oh, okay…let's go to the end of the table then." Cate answered.  
  
"Aww lookie what we have here," it was X-Ray, "little Rachel coming back to play."  
  
"Aww!" Armpit cooed.  
  
Rachel didn't say anything.  
  
"Shut up X-Ray." Squid said.  
  
"Yeah, what'd she ever do to you?" Zero said, with Caveman nodding.  
  
Rachel still didn't say anything else as she sat down with Cate at the end of the table.  
  
Squid's elbow was up on the table, holding his spoon, when he turned his head to look at Rachel and Caitlyn.  
  
"Yeah guys, she's my friend too!" Courtney piped up.   
  
"Just ignore them Rachel, their words are meaningless." Cate whispered, leaning over to Rachel.   
  
"I already am." she said, which was a lie. She couldn't ignore them, not when she felt so strongly about what they said. Sure, yeah…she said some bad things too and was rude, but that doesn't give them the right to treat her like that.  
  
Rachel didn't look up as she kept eating. Naturally, she was the first to finish. She got up, put her paper plate in the garbage, and walked out of the Mess Hall.  
  
Many campers, not only in D-Tent, watched her as she walked into her tent. They all remembered the incident last night.   
  
Rachel walked in D-Tent and took off her orange jumpsuit, and her clothes. She grabbed a fresh pair of clothes that she carried in her backpack, some cargo shorts that were tan, and a green Tee that had a white "R" on the front of it. She bent down, picked up her backpack, and set it on her lap as she sat on her cot.  
  
She pulled out the picture of her and Joshua. A tear streamed down her face. She quickly wiped it away and put the picture under her pillow as she heard someone walking.  
  
It was Mr. Pendanski, of all people. For some reason, when he walked in, she felt a sinking feeling. She didn't know why, she just expected somebody else to walk in instead.  
  
"Rachel." he said, putting one hand over the other, resting them in front of him.  
  
Rachel tilted her head, "Mr. Pendanski." she said back.  
  
He paused, for no particular reason. "I just wanted to tell you that your behavior is extremely inappropriate."  
  
Rachel sighed a short sigh and rolled her eyes. She knew he was going to say that. She shook her head.  
  
"See that is what I'm taking about." he said.  
  
"My 'behavior' is not inappropriate Mr. Pendanski. I was only defending myself against someone who had been behaving inappropriately." Rachel said as a matter of factly.   
  
"W-well I just d.." he stammered, before Rachel interrupted, "Yeah yeah yeah, you don't see the inappropriate behavior in X-Ray's attitude, but you see very clearly the behavior in mine. Very well done Mr. Pendanski."  
  
Rachel then grabbed her purple bandana, put it on her head over her two French braids, and put her backpack over her shoulder.  
  
"I'm very proud of you for recognizing the unnoticeable." she said, and walked out of the tent.  
  
"Well!" Mr. Pendanski exclaimed.   
  
Rachel started walking faster and faster to get in her secret spot behind all of the tents. From there, up high on a rock, she was guarded by the tents so no one could see her up there, but she could see everything.  
  
She turned behind C-Tent and ran into Caveman.   
  
"Whoo!" Rachel cried, as she fell to the ground.  
  
"Oh, Rachel, I'm sorry." Caveman said, holding out his hand to help her up. "I didn't see you."  
  
Rachel coughed. "Thanks," she said, as she took Caveman's hand, then wiped the dirt off the front of her shirt.  
  
"What're you doing back here?" Caveman asked curiously.  
  
"Oh, nothing, I'm just…..here, follow me." she said, and took Caveman's hand and led him to where her secret hiding place was.  
  
"Wow." Caveman said, looking around at everything, "I can even see The Warden's place."  
  
Rachel nodded. "Yeah, I found this place about 3 or 4 days after I got here. I've been going here a lot. You know, to get away…." she paused, "from things."  
  
"Yeah."   
  
After a long silence, Caveman said, "So…." Rachel felt tension from him, it was awkward.  
  
Rachel turned her head to look at him, and saw that he was blushing. Rachel's face softened, "Caveman!" she said with a smile.  
  
He flinched and turned to look at her, "What?"  
  
"You have a sunburn!" she said joking.  
  
He blushed even more and looked down, "Sorry." he said.  
  
Rachel shook her head, "No, uh, it's ok."   
  
They looked at each other for a while, and Rachel saw that Caveman looked sympathetic. He leaned over to kiss her, but Rachel turned her head. He hesitated, but kissed her on the cheek.   
  
"Uh…well, I guess I better go." she said, getting up. I want to get to sleep early so I can get up earlier."   
  
"Oh, okay. I think I'll stay up here for a while." he said.  
  
"Okay." Rachel said, and she had a feeling it was because Caveman wanted to watch her. She felt uncomfortable. Caveman had made feel insignificant, whereas Squid made her feel strong and like she could stand up for herself and state her opinion. There was just something about Caveman…they didn't connect at all. Too much awkwardness.   
  
So as Rachel started making her way into the tent, she felt like somebody was watching her every move. And she didn't like it.  
  
_I mean, Caveman's a good guy and all but…see, that is something that Squid would never do. She found herself thinking_. "What am I thinking?" she said aloud. "I just thought something that made Squid look good!" she exclaimed, bewildered.  
  
She hurried into the tent and walked to her cot, where she instantly fell fast asleep. 


	9. Apologies and Unrealized Schemes

Rachel suddenly got up from her cot. She let out a sigh of relief.   
  
_Only a dream,_ She thought.   
  
She quickly put her orange jumpsuit back on, grabbed her backpack, and walked out of the tent.   
  
All of the tables covered with slimy tortillas were already set out and ready for the campers to eat for their breakfast. Rachel walked over and grabbed one. How early was it? She wondered. It was still dark out, so Rachel made her way into the Wreck Room, to be greeted by a figure sitting on the couch.  
  
"Hey," it said, and Rachel recognized his voice to be Squid's.  
  
"Hi," Rachel murmured.   
  
"Couldn't sleep." he said, referring to himself.  
  
"Oh, me neither. Well, I could…but I just woke up, well…I didn't just wake up, I had a bad dream…but I don't mean it like I'm a little kid…um." Rachel stammered, not seeming to find the correct words.  
  
"It's okay, I know what you're trying to say." Squid said.  
  
"But um, you should at least try to sleep some more since….well, since you're digging two holes today." Rachel said, looking down. She felt bad.   
  
Squid shook his head, "Nah it doesn't matter."  
  
Rachel took a bite of the tortilla and spit it out. She threw it on the ground. It was _not_ worth eating. She'd rather go hungry than eat that.  
  
"I, um…" Rachel started, "I want to apologize."  
  
Squid looked at her.  
  
Rachel walked over and sat next to him on the couch.  
  
"I really…really acted awfully yesterday, and um…I hope I didn't hurt your feelings or anything, because…." she paused, "um, because…that's not what I meant…to do."  
  
"Yeah. I was just…"  
  
Rachel interrupted, "And thank you." she said, possibly a little too loudly. "For staying with me. I admit, it was nice to wake up to a familiar face." she said.  
  
_I can't believe I'm saying this! What has gotten into me?_ She thought to herself.  
  
"But don't think that this is going to make me nice to you! That would ruin my reputation. It'd make me a softy." she said, half joking…but she really wanted Squid to think that she was serious.  
  
"I didn't hear a thing." Squid said, holding up his arms innocently.  
  
Rachel smiled, a true smile, something she hadn't done in a long time.  
  
The Calvary horn sounded. Squid and Rachel instantly got up from the couch and ran out of the Wreck Room in opposite directions. Nobody could see them together like that.  
  
Rachel wiped the good look off her face and walked out of the Wreck Room, looking like it was the last place she wanted to be. Which was true.  
  
"Come on, it's diggin' time!" Mr. Pendanski yelled to the group, "listen up listen up!" He changed the course of his speaking, like suddenly his mind had changed about something.  
  
Everyone stopped chattering as they scarffed down their tortilla grease.  
  
"Mr. Sir has an announcement to make." He said, motioning to Mr. Sir, who walked across the porch every-so-proudly.  
  
"Alright, The Warden and I….have decided that it is only fair that we make this camp completely and truly co-ed, since we do have a couple o' girls here anyhow." He said, standing tall, fingers resting tightly on his belt…one hand on his pistol gun.   
  
"What?" a lot of juveniles exclaimed.  
  
"So we have decided that in about a couple days, more buses will be arrivin' here and it will be a completely co-ed camp. In that case, we have to make a new tent. It will G-Tent…G stands for girls. So boys, you will be enjoying your free space without those true girl-scouts botherin' ya." Mr. Sir said, as though the boys were girl scouts, and the girls were "true" girl scouts, whatever that meant.   
  
Mr. Sir continued…"So, Rachel, Courtney, Caitlyn, you will all be transferred to G-Tent tomorrow evening. Now open them peepers and get back to diggin'!" he shouted.  
  
Rachel suddenly had this sinking feeling in the bottom of her stomach, as if Mr. Sir had said to be transferred to a whole new camp. She didn't know why she was feeling this way. It's like, in this amount of time, she had made a new home in D-Tent, and it had only been a month.   
  
Rachel grabbed a shovel, making sure it didn't have a yellow mark on it, which signified that it was X-Ray's shorter one.  
  
She walked out onto the dry lake along with all of her other fellow D-Tent campers. Campers that wouldn't be her fellow tent friends anymore. It couldn't be so bad, they were still in the same Camp, after all.

* * *

Dirk Harrison zoomed down the road, which led to somewhere he didn't know. He knew he was still in the city, somewhere…but all he concentrated on was not going anywhere near a policeman or a police station.   
  
He was fuming with anger more than anyone alive, it seemed. He was absolutely furious with Rachel. He wasn't drunk, he didn't need to be.   
  
He dialed his cell phone, but when nobody answer he swore and slammed the phone back down on the stand to which it belongs. He dialed again, and again, which only led to more failed attempts.  
  
Dirk turned into the nearby gas station. He filled up his tank, then walked into the station to pay. But first, he walked straight to the side of the counter, where the maps were. He picked up the map of Texas, the state he was in now, ran his finger down….until he got to the name Green Lake. An evil grin slowly spred across his old, sunken face.

* * *

Thanks so much to all my reviewers!   



	10. X Ray's Manipulation

Dirk Harrison, map in hand, was driving clearly in the direction of Camp Greenlake. He tried his cell phone once more, but it was no use. There were no power lines or telephone poles anywhere in sight.  
  
"I can't believe Walker." he said to himself. "We had it all planned out and now she's made Rachel an even bigger.." he stopped.  
  
His cell phone was ringing. Miraculously.  
  
"Yeah?" he said, after pressing the on button.  
  
"Mr. Harrison?" the woman asked.  
  
"Yeah, who wants to know?" he asked.  
  
"Excuse me? You know who I am, don't start pulling that beep on me." she said.  
  
"I just didn't recognize your voice --"  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
Dirk stammered.  
  
"I want you to get your ass over here pronto." the woman said.  
  
"What, you got a problem?" Dirk asked.  
  
"As a matter of fact, there is a problem. Carla just got here. It's not exactly a real problem, but that's not how the plan was supposed to be, Rachel was not supposed to be here when Carla got here. I can't get her outta here cause I'll get fired. And I am not going to risk this camp, understood? The stakes are just way too high." she explained.  
  
"Uh, y-yes ma'am. I'm on my way right now." Dirk said, hanging up.  
  
The truth was, Miss Walker was the only person on earth that could shake up Dirk Harrison.  
  
Squid was doing good with his first hole so far. He didn't look tired yet, and he was digging in a good speed.  
  
Rachel could see the water truck driving along in the distance. They had already made their rounds with the other tents, and now it was on it's way to the D-Tent members.  
  
"Man, when is that damn truck gonna get here?" X-Ray asked, more like a demand than a question. Nobody answered.  
  
Finally, it drove up. Everyone dropped their shovels and made their way to the truck. This time it was Mr. Sir who brought it up here.  
  
The D-Tent diggers were extremely far away from camp this time. They couldn't even see The Warden's cabin, but they could see the camp. A little speck in the horizon. Rachel was afraid that they were right in the middle of that dried up lake, since the mountains look strangely close this time.  
  
X-Ray didn't go straight to the front of the line. Instead, he first slammed his hand onto Squid's arm and pushed him behind Zigzag. Squid pushed him with his callused hands, almost knocking X-Ray down.  
  
"Don't be pushin' me down the line!" Squid yelled, and pushed his way in front of Zigzag, behind Armpit.  
  
X-Ray shook his head in the "you shouldn't have done that" kind of manner.  
  
But he didn't jump back at Squid.  
  
Instead, he walked over to Rachel and violently put his arm around her neck, holding her low, her back arched backwards. All of her weight was on her back and neck. She choked, moving her feet to keep her up without getting devoured by X-Ray.  
  
"No, stop!" Squid yelled.  
  
"Stop it X-Ray!" exclaimed Courtney and Caitlyn.  
  
"Then get behind Zigzag!" he said.  
  
"Dammit just let her go X-Ray!" Squid cried.  
  
"First, you get behind Zig, aiight?" X-Ray said .  
  
Rachel choked when she tried to speak. Her hands were around X-Ray's arm, using all her might to get him off. He didn't even flinch.  
  
Squid instantly got behind Zigzag, with the most evil look on his face.  
  
"Very good." X-Ray said, dropping Rachel to the ground.  
  
Her hands instantly flew up to her chest, hoping she'll be able to breathe right. She coughed over and over.  
  
In all this time, Mr. Sir had just stood there, casually leaning against his truck, watching it all.  
  
"You girl scouts finished?" he mumbled once it was all over.  
  
"Yes Mr. Sir." X-Ray said, sugar-coating the situation.  
  
"Good." Mr. Sir said.  
  
Squid rushed over to Rachel, along with Cate and Courtney. Rachel continued coughing.  
  
"I….I'll be okay." Rachel tried to say, with a hoarse voice. She coughed once more.  
  
Courtney and Caitlyn nodded sympathetically.  
  
Mr. Sir slammed Zero's water bottle into his arms after he had filled Caveman's.  
  
"You better get over 'ere if you wanna get your cantine filled with lake water." Mr. Sir said shaking his head, hunched down a little, with an enormous sarcastic look on his face and body. He looked like he was talking to a little puppy who was being ornery.  
  
"Come on." Squid said, grabbing Rachel's hand, helping her get to her feet.  
  
A strange feeling rushed through Rachel's mind and body. She had the urge to hug Squid, or say something to him, but she didn't know what. Through everything, Squid still takes the time to make sure she's okay.  
  
Rachel opened her mouth to say something, but her mind went blank once again.  
  
Caitlyn was already in line, and Mr. Sir had just finished filling Courtney's cantine. Squid let Rachel go in front of him, to get her water first.  
  
Squid was still furious with X-Ray. He had absolutely no respect for anybody, especially girls. And even Squid had the decency to put back his mean ways for a girl. You're supposed to respect them. No matter what kind of person you are, or what ways you have.  
  
Rachel coughed once more and gulped down the water that was left in her cantine. Then she let Mr. Sir fill it.  
  
The whole time he was filling it, he was staring up into Rachel's face. With a look that Rachel couldn't quite place. Was he mad? Happy? She didn't know.  
  
Squid had gotten impatient. Mr. Sir was filling her cantine slower than anybody else's, deliberately.  
  
Rachel moved her head back, put her hands on her hip, and stared right back at Mr. Sir.  
  
"Will you hurry up already? I don't got all day!" Rachel snapped.  
  
Squid stood up straighter, as he watched what Mr. Sir would do next.  
  
Mr. Sir stopped filling Rachel's cantine and threw it across the desert, feet away.  
  
"No!" Rachel yelled as she ran toward her flying cantine. It landed in a heap of dust soon before Rachel jumped on it, picking it up.  
  
It was only half full, with dust in the water.  
  
"Damn!" Rachel whispered.  
  
"If you want your cantine filled than you have to be patient. That's your punishment."  
  
Squid and Rachel stood in silence while Mr. Sir filled Squid's cantine.  
  
Everyone went back to their holes. Some smiling, some in disappointment. And it just happened to be X-Ray and Armpit with those awful smirks on their faces. Their eyes on Rachel were ever present.  
  
Squid glanced over at X-Ray and Armpit, glaring.  
  
"Man, that little girl has made you into a softy." Armpit said, nodding his head toward Rachel.  
  
Neither Squid nor Rachel said anything. Rachel didn't even look up.  
  
Caitlyn and Courtney kept digging, along with the other D-Tent boys, not saying anything.  
  
As the diggers were finished with their hole, Squid was starting his second one. Rachel gave him a sympathetic look as she started walking back to camp. She let the other campers go ahead of her, she would never walk with them.  
  
Zero ran back to where Rachel was walking.  
  
"Hey." he said.  
  
"Hi Hector." she said.  
  
His face brightened.  
  
"You know, you're the only one who calls me Hector, besides Stanley." he says.  
  
Rachel nodded, "Yeah." she said, smiling.  
  
They walked in silence a little while longer, until Zero said, "They were talking about you up there." Nodding toward X-Ray and his boys.  
  
Rachel nodded, "I expected that."  
  
"They talked about a nickname for you." Zero said.  
  
"Oh really?" Rachel said, "Did they decide on one?"  
  
"Yeah. Ace." he says.  
  
Rachel gave Zero a quizzical look, "Why Ace?" Rachel asked curiously.  
  
"I dunno, said something about you ki-- uh, well…that you were gambling." Zero said, quickly covering up his almost mistake of mentioning her father's death.  
  
Rachel shook her head, "Thanks for caring Hector. I know that it's because I 'aced' the gunshot to my father."  
  
"I won't call you that of course." Zero said.  
  
"Mm.… It's hard as it is to not know who I truly am. I don't need the confusion of a nickname." she said smiling.  
  
Zero nodded.  
  
"Did they pick out nicknames for Cate and Courtney too?" Rachel asked.  
  
"Yep. Courtney's is Dice, because she has little earings that are dice and because her and Cate gambled together. And Cate's is Bet." Zero answered.  
  
"Huh," Rachel mumbled, "But they just had to figure out a nickname that had something to do with my father." Rachel said, shaking her head….her anger rising.  
  
"Yeah." Zero muttered.  
  
Zero and Rachel walked into D-Tent to only be greeted by an empty cot where Rachel's used to be. Her backpack was gone.  
  
"Where the hell did they take my stuff?" Rachel exclaimed.  
  
"Probably into the new tent." Zero said, pointing to another ugly green tent that had just been set up.  
  
Rachel had that sinking feeling again.  
  
"Man, I don't want to go to some girls tent! I'm not scared what they'll think of me, I just don't want to bother with a bunch of girls who are scared of breaking a nail or something." Rachel said.  
  
Zero laughed. "That's why I'm glad you're not that way." he said.  
  
Rachel shook her head in disbelief as she walked out of the tent, into the new one…G-Tent. Her new home.  
  
Zero followed, only to be disappointed by the sign that remained on the side of G-Tent.  
  
"No boys are to be permitted into this tent." Zero said, reading the notice.  
  
"Yeah, I'm sorry. I'd let you in if they didn't have that sign up there." Rachel said.  
  
Zero thanked Rachel as he walked into the Wreck Room.  
  
As Rachel looked through her things to make sure none were stolen, she couldn't help but think that Zero hadn't finished his hole as soon as he usually does. 


	11. His Heart Goes Out To Her

Rachel showered, changed jumpsuits, and decided to go walk back to where their holes had been dug, to see how Squid was doing.   
  
"Squid!" she called, waving her hands in the air.   
  
Squid lifted his shovel to show that he had heard her.  
  
"How ya doin'?" she asked, kneeling down to Squid's eye level. He only had a small pile of dirt out of his hole so far.  
  
"Not too good. I'm so exhausted." he said.  
  
"What would you say about us taking turns?" she asked.  
  
He looked at her, while he wiped a layer of sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand. He squinted in the bright sunlight.  
  
"Nah, you already showered and it's my responsibility for…"  
  
Rachel cut him off, "Wrong answer." she said. "Come on, gimme." she said, holding her hand out for the shovel.  
  
Squid smiled and sat down on the side of the hole while Rachel started digging.  
  
--   
  
Rachel and Squid had finished digging the hole, and started walking back to camp.  
  
"They already moved me to a different tent." Rachel said, breaking the silence.  
  
Squid didn't say anything, he just looked down as they continued walking down the dry wasteland.   
  
"And I've always hated the letter G." Rachel said, hoping to cheer him up.  
  
Squid smiled, then chuckled.   
  
--  
  
Officer Alex Mansley fumed.   
  
"Check it again!" he yelled, "I did not dismiss that idiot's charges." he said again, in disbelief.  
  
"I'm sorry Mansley, but you did. That was a long time ago." the woman said.  
  
Mansley swore.   
  
"Officer Mansley! Officer Mansley!" yelled another woman, named Marissa Cortez. Marissa was a short, plump young woman with extremely curly blonde hair. The glasses she had on were bright red and circular. Extremely too large for her round face.  
  
Mansley looked up, and saw Marissa running down the hall, her arms in the air.   
  
She was breathing hard, "Officer Mansley….we have, somewhat, good news. Good for the case anyway. But it's awful!" she exclaimed.  
  
"Spit it out Marissa!"  
  
"Okay, we did more investigating…and we found that not only did Dirk Harrison live, but he didn't get hit by a bullet at all! AND…get this, he had a plot to get Rachel landed in a Juvenile Facility!" she said all in one breath. "Whew, I did it." she added.  
  
"Whoa, wait a minute…how the hell did he get past us then, he was supposed to be dead! One of our officers got it all finished up." Mansley argued.  
  
"Right, but not. The officer that got Dirk's case was his associate," Marissa paused, "in crime. Uh, his brother actually."   
  
"Man the hits just keep comin'." Mansley said leaning back in his chair, "Thanks Marissa, now try to find out what Facility he wanted Rachel in, because I'll give them a call."  
  
"Oh, we already know that sir." Marissa Cortez said.  
  
"Well what is it then?" Mansley asked.  
  
"It's in Texas, the place is called Green Lake. But it's an all boys camp. Camp Green Lake. Rachel could be there now." Marissa said.  
  
"Give me the number." Mansley ordered.  
  
--  
  
Squid and Rachel walked into the Mess Hall. He didn't even have time to take a shower, since dinner was almost over anyway.  
  
"Um, well, I, uh, I have to go eat at the G-Tent table." Rachel murmured, not even looking at Squid as she dished up her food.  
  
"Yeah, okay." Squid said, walking to the D-Tent table.  
  
X-Ray and Armpit were smirking so much that it looked like their mouths would get stuck there. They started laughing at Squid as he sat down.  
  
"Aww your poor girlfriend has to go sit all by her lonesome." X-Ray said, making a sad sarcastic frown.   
  
"Shut up! She ain't my girlfriend." Squid said.  
  
Rachel pushed her tray onto the table and sat down, picking at her food. She had no appetite. The memory of her brother was too fresh. She felt like he had just died again. It was all so new to her. While she lived with her parents, she had found ways to cover up her feelings, hide them, and ignore them. Here, it was totally different. She needed to express her feelings. Something here makes her feel that way.  
  
Though she kept a very straight face, a tear streamed down her face as she put the first bite into her mouth.  
  
Squid looked over to her…..  
  
_She sat a table away  
Staring into space  
In her own little world  
  
And I saw a tear in her eye  
Like a window to the mind  
Of a frightened little girl  
  
She never said a word  
But I know I clearly heard   
A cry for help  
And I wanted to answer  
I wanted to tell her  
  
My heart goes out to you  
You don't even know me  
You don't even know  
Oh my heart goes out to you  
And I don't know what else to do  
To reach you now  
My heart goes out  
  
But I'm still glued to my chair  
She's unaware  
There's little time  
  
And though my intentions are good  
If I'm misunderstood  
The price could be high  
  
I can't fix whatever's wrong  
But if I fail to pass along  
Someone cares   
The price could be greater  
This can't wait til later  
  
For God has loved the world so much  
He send His only Son  
From Heaven to earth  
  
Well there's a distance love covered  
She's just a table over  
All she needs is a shoulder  
  
Oh my heart goes out to you  
You don't even know me  
You don't even know  
Oh, my heart goes out to you  
Let me do what I can do to reach you now  
My heart goes out_  
  
Squid looked at Rachel a little longer, until finally, he put his head down and continued eating his food. He looked up once more, but Rachel was gone.  
  
--  
  
The phone kept ringing, when a bitter woman answered the phone.  
  
"Yes, I'm Officer Alex Mansley and I'm looking for a juvenile that you might have in your custody." Mansley said.  
  
"What may this concern Mr. Mansley?" the woman asked.  
  
"Important business, there may have been an illegal transfer." he explained.  
  
"Excuse me? Believe me Mr. Mansley, I would know if such events should occur." she said, about to hang up.  
  
"Wait! Don't hang up ma'am. Do you have a Rachel Harrison at Camp Green Lake?" Mansley asked.  
  
"I do not know what you are talking about Mr. Mansley, this is an all boys camp." she said.  
  
"Ma'am…if you say that again, I will have to arrest you for untruthful statements. I have a report here that many girls were transferred there from a different camp in the past week. So don't tell me that Green Lake is an all boys camp." Mansley said.  
  
Just then, the phone clicked and the line ended. 


	12. Don't Worry Zig, Rachel is a Big Girl!

Rachel awoke. This time to shuffling feet and loud voices., rather than the loud horn. She got out of her cot and walked out of her tent.  
  
She rubbed her eyes in the bright sunlight. Wait, sunlight?  
  
Rachel squinted, "What's going on?" she yelled out.  
  
Zigzag and Caitlyn ran over to her. "A bus is comin'. Look." Cate said, pointing over to the horizon.  
  
"Whoa…already?" Rachel asked, bewildered.  
  
"I guess so," Zigzag said, "but we still have to dig." he added.  
  
Rachel walked past Zigzag to where D-Tent was lingering, outside the Wreck Room on the porch. Rachel sat down next to Zero and Courtney.   
  
Campers walked around the camp, some excited, some absolutely bored. Others paid no attention.   
  
"Everyone!!" It was Mr. Pendanski. "Everyone listen up! I want all of you to go quietly into your tents as you wait for the new girl campers to arrive. We don't want to overwhelm them with so many people at once."  
  
Rachel scoffed, "He never did that for me."   
  
"Now go on." Mr. Pendanski said again, moving his hands like he was pushing some child across the floor, when really, there was nobody in front of him.  
  
Rachel, Courtney, and Caitlyn all sat down on their cots, waiting ever so patiently for the new girls to arrive. Finally, they heard girls voices not far from the tent. Some giggling, one screamed, others talking.   
  
They pushed open the flap to G-Tent and their chatter suddenly stopped.  
  
"Oh my God! There are already girls in here." said one of them.  
  
Rachel kept looking at them, "I'm Rachel." she said. "Pick a cot, it's your new bedroom." Rachel waved her arms around.   
  
"Yeah, and I'm Bet," Cate said, "And this is our friend Dice." she said, pointing to Courtney.  
  
"Oh, so you have nicknames too?" said a girl that looked about 13 years old.  
  
"Yeah, everyone does here in camp." Courtney said.  
  
"Wow, I guess nicknames come with the territory around here, because we all made up nicknames out of boredom on the way here." The 13 year old said.  
  
They walked in, talking a bit more to one another, as they each chose a cot.  
  
Rachel just sat in silence, not knowing what to say.   
  
A girl with cornrows piped up, "How long have ya been here girls?" she asked.  
  
Rachel looked over her way, "About a month, we haven't been keeping track, really." she said.  
  
The girl nodded, "I'm Shorty." she said, holding out her hand. She was very tomboyish, not a slight sign of any makeup whatsoever, and she looked very tough.  
  
Cate reached out her hand, but realized that Shorty didn't mean to shake it. Shorty gave her a high five as soon as Cate's hand left her side.  
  
Rachel was a little taken-aback by Shorty's style, cool and independent. She didn't look like the kind of person that would take crap from anyone.   
  
"So do any of you know each other? Well, I mean, from before the long and tiring bus ride?" Courtney asked.  
  
"Only Shorty and I." said a girl standing behind Shorty, with gorgeous shiny brown hair resting on her shoulders. She had brown eyes that were very intimidating, and she looked the exact opposite of a girly girl.   
  
"I'm Lucki." she said.   
  
Suddenly a girl popped up out of nowhere, Rachel didn't see her, and instantly introduced herself.   
  
"Hi! My name's Banana." she said with a smile, waving at Rachel, Courtney, and Cate.  
  
Cate smiled, "Well hi!"   
  
Banana had dirty blonde hair with blonde streaks that was parted in zigzag, resting on her shoulders. She had beautiful hazel eyes and looked like a very sweet girl.   
  
"Do we really have to stay here for 18 MONTHS?" a girl complained, setting down her bag underneath her cot.  
  
" 'fraud so." Rachel said, raising her eyebrows.   
  
The girl plopped down on her cot and picked at her black and red braces.  
  
"Don't mind her…Babygirl's too young to understand any of that anyway." Shorty said, waving her hand down while rolling her eyes. She unclipped her earrings, taking them off of her lobes and cartilages with her tanned hands that were streaked with dirt.   
  
"I ain't too young! I'm 13!" Babygirl said. Rachel realized that she was the 13 year old that had talked earlier. Babygirl stopped picking at her braces and brushed her light brown and red streaked hair away from her face.  
  
"Wow, they sent a 13 year old here? I thought this camp was for older teens when they get into trouble. " Rachel said.  
  
"Yeah well…Babygirl did something really, really bad." Banana said, lowering her voice, sitting down on Rachel's cot.  
  
Babygirl glanced at her, giving her a look to stop talking, and said, "It isn't that bad, it was an accident!"  
  
"Well, I just mean that 13 is a little young to have to put up with everything you have to do here." Courtney said, trying to change the subject for Babygirl.  
  
Everyone stopped talking.  
  
"The dude on the bus didn't tell us what we had to do." said one of the girls with a large tattoo around her left wrist like a charm bracelet. Rachel saw that it had a fat cat, a guitar, and the four Linkin Park logos .  
  
"Yeah, what'd we have to do?" Babygirl asked.  
  
"Well, they make you wake up way before dawn. You have to eat stuff that should not be called 'food'. And you have to dig a five by five hole every day. Then you come home, take a shower, eat the so-called 'food' again, and go hang out in the Wreck Room if you want. Then…you go into your tent, go to sleep, and do the same thing every single day afterwards. Uh, for however long your sentence is." Cate explained, trying hard not to make it sound as bad as it really is.  
  
Many of the girls' mouths were agape.  
  
"Nah, how hard can it be?" Shorty asked.   
  
Rachel shook her head, "It's a lot harder than you think." she said, so only Shorty could hear.  
  
"Honey!!" someone yelled, and ran over to another girl's cot, picking up some metal strings, "They were in your bag ALL THIS TIME?"   
  
"Yeah! See I told you we'd find them Strings! How far can guitar strings go on one bus anyhow?" Honey answered, adjusting her necklace she had, which was a puka-shell.  
  
"Guitar strings?" Courtney asked.  
  
"Yeah, for my guitar…that the stupid bus driver didn't let me board with. Now I don't even have a guitar to play!" Strings said.  
  
"Gosh, we had to put up with all the stress on the bus for nothin'." Banana exclaimed.  
  
"Whoa...wait, what?" Rachel asked, confused.  
  
"On the bus over here, Strings lost her guitar strings…and it was in my bag all this time." Honey said.  
  
"Oh, so her name is Strings…?" Rachel asked.  
  
"Yeah, and I'm Honey." she said.  
  
Just then a woman walked in the door.  
  
"Hey Danielle," Banana said.  
  
"Hi girls," Danielle said.   
  
Danielle was a tall slender woman that looked to be in her 20's. She had brown slightly curly hair down to her shoulders, which at the moment was tied tightly into two pigtails below her ears.   
  
"Oh, you must be the campers Mr. Sir was talking about, I'm Danielle." she said, introducing herself to Rachel, Cate, and Courtney. "The Warden hired me to be your counselor, since after all, yall [I]are[/I] in a new tent now." Danielle explained.  
  
Cate, Courtney, and Rachel all introduced themselves to Danielle, when Mr. Sir walked in.  
  
"Alright people, it's time to go dig." he said.  
  
Some of the girls shot uneasy looks to one another as they grabbed their shovels and followed Mr. Sir out onto the lake.   
  
Rachel ran over to the D-Tent group, who were a little ways away from G-Tent.  
  
"Hey." she said.  
  
X-Ray and Armpit acted as though nobody said anything, but the others looked at her.  
  
"I uh, I have to dig with G-Tent." she said, and started to walk off.  
  
Zigzag stopped her.  
  
"What Ziggy?" she asked.  
  
"Make sure that none of them new girls push ya around." he said, "they could be sent here from the FBI or something'." Zigzag said.  
  
Rachel shook her head, smiling, and said, "Can do Zigzag, don't you worry about me. I can handle them myself." she said.  
  
Zigzag's eyes widened as he looked around suspiciously.  
  
Rachel turned around and walked back to G-Tent, shaking her head, and laughed. 


	13. Ace Is Finally Fine With It, Well, Sorta

The new G-Tent girls followed Danielle and Mr. Sir to their digging locations.  
  
"Alright, if you find anything, make sure to let me or Danielle know. If The Warden likes what you find, you'll get the day off." Mr. Sir explained.  
  
Some of the girls' faces had bespectacled looks as they dug their first shovel full of dirt.  
  
"Where you going Danielle?" Banana asked.  
  
"I'm going back to camp. I have to work a couple things out with The Warden. I'll be back in a little while." she said, and started walking back. "Good luck girls!" she yelled back.  
  
An hour later, the girls weren't even half finished, but were very tired already. To make themselves forget the pain and heat that they were suffering, they started engaging into conversations.   
  
"Yo, what do all of you think of the orange jumpsuits?" Shorty said, pulling up a shovel full of dirt and dropping it into a pile next to it.  
  
"Ugh! The color makes my face look too red, and they're way too baggy." Strings said, making a face like she just ate a lemon. Babygirl nodded in agreement, who, herself, didn't like them much either.  
  
"Hey, clothes can never get too baggy, unless they're falling off or something." Shorty replied.  
  
"But they are falling off!" Strings said, adjusting the orange straps.  
  
All of the girls burst into laughter, even Strings.   
  
"Hey I don't mind them." Honey said through small fits of laughter.  
  
"Yeah, same here Honey. I think they're pretty cool. At least they're comfortable, right?" Cate said, tying them tighter around her waist. Above the jumpsuit, she had on a loose-fitting white t-shirt with dirt stains, slightly damp with sweat. Courtney nodded.  
  
Banana grunted as she pulled out a good compacted chunk of dirt, and threw it to the side.  
  
"I think they'd be sexy if they actually fit properly!" she said.  
  
"Yeah. I do wish we could wear our own clothes though, but I'm fine with it." Lucki said.  
  
Rachel dropped her shovel, "I gotta pee." she said.   
  
"Okay." Cate said with a giggle.  
  
When Rachel was well out of earshot, Babygirl asked, "What's Rachel's nickname anyway? She never said."  
  
"Um…she doesn't like to be called anything other than Rachel." Cate said, hoping they would let it go.  
  
"Oh." Babygirl answered.  
  
"Still, what is it?" Shorty asked.  
  
"It's Ace." Courtney said.  
  
"What's so bad about that?" Honey asked.  
  
"It just reminds her of somethin', that's all." Cate said.  
  
"What happened?" Strings asked.  
  
"I really don't think she wants anyone to know." Cate said, "So it's not up to me to tell you."  
  
"Okay, I'll ask her then." Lucki said.  
  
Cate paused her digging for a moment. Rachel would not like that.   
  
None too soon, Rachel came back and tied her jumpsuit around her waste rather than pull them all the way up.  
  
Babygirl pushed aside her hair, away from her face, and then gasped.  
  
"Ouch! Dammit!" she exclaimed, clutching her hand.  
  
"What happened Babygirl?" Cate asked.  
  
"My hand slipped and I cut it on the shovel!" she cried, the blood seeping through her good hand's fingers.  
  
"Here, take this…." Honey said, handing her a piece of cloth that she pulled out of her pocket, "Tie it around your hand." she said.  
  
"Oh! But wash it off with your water first." Banana reminded her.   
  
"It could get infected." Strings explained.  
  
"Thanks guys." Babygirl said.  
  
"Man, it looks pretty deep." Shorty said, quickly and shortly inhaling some air through clenched teeth.  
  
"No, it's just the blood that makes it look that way. It's not as bad as you think. It only stings." Babygirl said.  
  
"Heh, pretty nice enhancement to coincide with the violent bloody blisters." Lucki said.  
  
Babygirl chuckled, "Yeah, just my day huh?"  
  
"It always seems this bad at the start, but don't worry...things get along better after your first week, at the most." Cate said.  
  
"Gosh I know how that happened." Courtney said.  
  
"How?" Babygirl asked.  
  
"You were too busy messing with your hair. Does anyone have a hair tie?" Courtney said.  
  
"Oh, I do." Rachel dropped her shovel and jogged over to where Babygirl was digging. She handed her the pink and black hair tie.  
  
"Thanks Ace." Babygirl gasped in realization of what she had just said, "Oh my gosh, it just slipped out!"  
  
Rachel froze. She tried to retain her temper.   
  
"I'm really sorry Rachel! Like I said, it just slipped out." Babygirl said.  
  
Rachel nodded, but didn't say anything, and kept digging.  
  
Many of the girls exchanged looks of confusion and sympathy, but all of them were relieved that Rachel didn't have a blowout.   
  
Caitlyn smiled.   
  
"Phew, it's the water truck. I'm getting really hungry." Babygirl said as she quickly got out of her hole.  
  
All of the girls got in line at the water truck, randomly of course, since Shorty was nice enough to not be like X-Ray. She didn't care if they were in a certain line.  
  
The truck pulled up to the digging site and Mr. Sir hopped out like he was ready to do a beating.  
  
Banana and Babygirl stepped back.  
  
"Don't worry," Courtney said, "That's his good mood face."   
  
Banana and Babygirl looked at each other, confused.  
  
"Alright campers, get your lake water." he said, filling up Shorty's cantine first.  
  
Caitlyn, Coutney, and Rachel groaned and rolled their eyes. That 'joke' was so old.   
  
Once everyone had their cantine filled, they took their graham crackers, apples, cheese, and baloney.  
  
"How's everyone's hands?" Cate asked.  
  
All of the girls paused to show Cate her hands. All of them looked the same, blisters that had been popped that were bleeding down their wrists.  
  
"It'll go away eventually." Mr. Sir said as he drove off.  
  
Shorty and Lucki scarffed down their lunch and went back to digging.  
  
"Wow, yall eat as fast as Rachel digs!" Cate laughed, along with everyone else.  
  
"Well, the sooner we get back to digging, the sooner we'll be outta the hot sun." Shorty said, hopping into her hole. She picked up her shovel and started finishing her hole. Lucki nodded, doing the same.  
  
The rest of the girls realized the importance of finishing their food faster, as they all stuffed their throats with their food, and continued digging.  
  
"Well…I know that Rachel doesn't like her nickname. But what should we call you?" Honey asked, nodding towards Caitlyn and Courtney.  
  
"By your nicknames? Bet for Cate, and Dice for Courtney?" Strings asked.  
  
"Sure." Courtney said.  
  
"That's fine yall," Cate said with a smile, "That's just fine." 


	14. Mr Pendanski's Outburst

"You finished already?" Lucki asked tiredly.   
  
Rachel didn't answer as she started walking back to camp.  
  
"Yep, she always finishes sooner than everyone else. Just like Zero in D-Tent." Courtney said.  
  
"Who?" Banana asked.  
  
"Oh yeah, I forgot…oh, never mind." Courtney said.  
  
"Who? What?" Banana asked again, confused.  
  
"Just keep digging." Shorty said.  
  
Rachel finally got to the showers, when she was stopped by Mr. Pendanski.  
  
"Why didn't you dig your hole?" he exclaimed, "Don't you dare pull that crap on me again!"  
  
"What? What're you talking about?" Rachel snapped, a little too loudly.  
  
"You know damn well what I'm talking about Rachel," he said, "and don't expect to get out of this one. Now you go out onto that lake and dig your hole right now!"  
  
"I have no idea what you're talking about Pendanski. You must've had too much sun." she said, moving away from him.  
  
He grabbed her arm.  
  
"Let go of me!" Rachel yelled, pulling away. Mr. Pendanski was not a very large man, so she slipped from his grasp immediately.   
  
"Now, if you don't mind, I would like very much to go relax without any disturbances." she said, attempting to walk away once more.  
  
"Now you listen here Rachel," Mr. Pendanski said, holding her shoulders with both hands, "You don't realize who you're lying to, do you? What is the point to lie to someone who knows the truth? I saw you minutes ago talking like you didn't know where the heck you were! And I am not about to let you go un-punished for what you did."   
  
"What the hell did I do? What are you talking about?" Rachel yelled in his face, "I have been on that lake working my butt off all day, and you are accusing me of doing something worth punishment? Isn't digging a hole every day a good enough punishment for you people?" she yelled.  
  
"Apparantly not." Mr. Pendanski paused  
  
Rachel glared, and attempted to walk away, yet again.   
  
Suddenly horrible pain seared through her head. Her hands immediately flew up to her face. Her ear was bleeding, and she gasped. Only to realize what had happened. Mr. Pendanski had hit her across the face and her right ear. He was strong for a little guy.  
  
Rachel collapsed to a sitting position, her hands still clutching her face.   
  
"Do not talk in that manner to me or anyone else in this camp again, UNDERSTOOD?" Mr. Pendanski yelled.  
  
Rachel started breathing heavily as she got dizzy. She looked up at Mr. Pendanski and saw his hand go red, the one he had hit her with. Sure, he was a little guy, but he was perfect for hitting ornery children.   
  
She touched her ear and felt the blood. She looked up at Mr. Pendanski again. It not only looked like there were multiple counselors there, but she could feel the earth spinning. She looked around, not knowing which way was up or down.   
  
"Now, you go out there and dig another hole or I will hit you again." Mr. Pendanski said.  
  
Strangely, Rachel never thought that Mr. Pendanski would do that. He seemed like a tiny little ant compared to everybody in the camp.  
  
Rachel's head throbbed with pain. Numbness went through her whole body, and her ears were ringing.   
  
Rachel felt like she was going to faint, when she saw a girl walking in front of her. She looked like the exact mirror image of herself. It was herself, Rachel was positive, but slightly different. The girl's hair was down and wavy, almost curly. Her face was exactly like Rachel's, except for a large freckle right on her jaw bone, by her ear.   
  
The girl's mouthed opened as she saw Rachel, and ran away as fast as she could. Rachel didn't know what was going on, but she thought that she saw the girl running into The Warden's cabin. All Rachel could think about was the pain as she got up and walked into the Wreck Room, covering her bleeding ear with both hands. 


	15. How Come You Never Told Us?

Officer Alex Mansley had been driving for hours. He was cold on Dirk Harrison's trail, but Mansley had a big hunch that Dirk was on his way to Camp Green Lake. So Mansley followed.  
  
Mansley took one hand off the wheel as he tried Camp Green Lake on his cell again, but no luck. There was absolutely nothing anywhere in sight that had anything to do with technology, let alone cell phones. He put his hand back on the wheel and though of what exactly Dirk Harrison was trying to pull.   
  
Mansley reached underneath the dashboard and picked up a notebook. He opened it, and to his surprise, it was his own handwriting, rather than Marissa Cortez's. She always had something important to write in there. Mansley shrugged as he read what he had gotten so far…  
  
_Dirk Harrison is alive. The only information we have recovered so far is that he had been trying to send his daughter, Rachel Harrison, to some kind of Camp Facility for Juveniles._  
  
"Wait," Mansley said to himself, "What proves this? We have no evidence of this. Why didn't I see this before?"  
  
Mansley flipped through the pages with one hand, the notebook sitting on the middle seat next to him. He licked his finger as he turned another page. His eyes widened in realization. He grabbed his walkie talkie, praying it would work.   
  
"Marissa, Marissa it's Mansley. Do you copy?" he said through the radio.  
  
"I'm here Mansley, over." It worked!  
  
"I just got a huge breakthrough in the case. Can you--"  
  
"Wait, where are you? You had a breakthrough….in your truck?" Marissa interrupted.  
  
"Yes, now will you listen to me?" Mansley said, annoyed.  
  
"Sorry, go on."   
  
"I need you to give me the hospital records of Rachel's birth, and adoption records of the Local Adoption Center, the same date as Rachel's birth date, alright?" he said  
  
"Uh, okay Mansley I'll give you the information as soon as I call them and get it faxed over here. I'll get back to you." Marissa answered.  
  
"Thanks Marissa, I owe you one. Get it to me ASAP." He said.  
  
"Right, over and out."  
  
Static. Mansley sighed and rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. He was in for a long week.   
  
Marissa called Mansley back in less than five minutes.  
  
"Hey Marissa, what'd you find?" he asked.  
  
"You will never believe this Mansley." Marissa replied through the radio, shocked.  
  
"What?" Mansley asked  
  
"Rachel has an identical twin sister, by birth, who was given up for adoption when they were both born. It looks here that Rachel's sister, Carla that is, escaped her foster parent's home a couple years ago...looking for Dirk. It doesn't say if she ever found him."  
  
"Damn. We were way off. Dirk wasn't trying to get Rachel landed in a Facility, he was going to kill her! The only live person that was standing in his way of living with Carla and making a fortune off of dealing drugs. Shit!" Mansley hit the steering wheel with his hand as he fumed. He swore again.  
  
"So what are you going to do? Face Dirk yourself..? Jesus Mansley you're crazy if you do that, this man's dangerous!" Marissa exclaimed.  
  
"Don't think I don't know that Marissa, I was in a car chase with him and he wasn't even close to stopping to negotiate anything. He knows he's in for it." Mansley said. He sighed loudly.   
  
"I have to get Rachel out of this mess, Dirk has not only 'violated' something, he's destroyed people's lives, and killed her brother for God's sakes." Mansley said.  
  
"Mansley…slow down. You act like you know Rachel personally. You haven't even seen her face." Marissa said.  
  
"Slow down? This is a murder case Marissa. Slow down is not the thing you should say right now. You expect me to slow down when lives are on the line, including mine? That's unbelievable." Mansley said.  
  
"Well okay Mansley, OKAY. You have it your way. Good luck on the 'murder case', you won't be hearing from me again." And the walkie talkie clicked off.  
  
Mansley scoffed. He was on his own.  
  
Rachel opened her eyes. She must've drifted off into a sleep. She didn't remember. The pain in her head was more bearable, but the loud music in the Wreck Room made it worse. She saw numerous people playing pool, wrestling, fighting, talking, and a couple girls were dancing and cheering.  
  
Rachel put her hand up to her head and felt that it was bandaged. She winced as she sat up, realizing that she had been lying on the couch.  
  
She was so confused. What had she seen earlier?  
  
Magnet walked over to her, "You alright?" he asked.  
  
Rachel cleared her throat, squinted her eyes a little, and nodded.  
  
Zigzag and a couple other D-Tent members walked over to her.  
  
"How come you never told us?" Zigzag asked.  
  
"What?"  
  
"How come you never told us about her?" Zigzag asked again.  
  
"About who?" Rachel asked.  
  
"About me."   
  
Rachel turned her head, feeling dizzy again because of the quick motion, and saw the girl across the room. The one that looked exactly like Rachel.  
  
"Oh my god! Who are you?" Rachel exclaimed. The girls that were dancing, Banana and Honey, walked over.  
  
"What, you never knew that you had a twin?" Banana asked, looking over at Honey, who looked as confused as Rachel did.  
  
"Whoa, a twin? What?" Rachel didn't know what was going on.  
  
Zigzag's eyes widened.  
  
"I am your twin, we were separated at birth. Our parents never told you?" the girl asked.  
  
"Well obviously not!" Honey exclaimed, "she doesn't understand what's happening, so of course her parents had never told her."  
  
Rachel's thoughts were spinning.  
  
"I…I have a twin?" she exclaimed with a smile.  
  
"Yes!" Magnet said.  
  
"Oh my god!" Rachel said, "This is too freaky." She shook her head.   
  
"I know, it was for me too!" the girl exclaimed. "I'm Carla."  
  
"Uh, what'd you mean it was for you too? When did you find out, without seeing Rachel first?" Banana asked.  
  
"Well, um, uh…The Warden showed me a picture of Rachel." she said, extremely unconvincing.  
  
"Where were you and The Warden at?" Lucki asked, following Magnet to the other side of the small crowd.  
  
"Um…in her cabin." Carla answered.  
  
"Nah, what were you doing in there? She doesn't let anyone in there." Cate said.  
  
Behind her was Strings and Courtney, who nodded.  
  
Carla looked around like she was being attacked.  
  
_This is nuts._ Rachel thought, "I saw her run in there! Last night."  
  
"She let me because I just got here, ya know, new campers." Carla answered, nodding.  
  
Shorty shook her head, "We all just got her yesterday, we didn't get to go in there."   
  
"Maybe because you're a group..?" Carla said.  
  
"No, that doesn't have anything to do with it." Caveman piped up, "All of us guys got here separately and none of us have seen the cabin." he said, "Well, I have…but that's only because I stole sunflower seeds."  
  
Magnet looked down.  
  
"Come on Carla, explain yourself." Lucki said, putting her hands on her hips.  
  
"Um…well, I uh…" she stammered.  
  
"Alright, lights out campers!" Mr. Sir yelled, "Go back to your tents."   
  
Carla was saved. She slipped away from everyone without a word and was never seen for the rest of the night.  
  
Song for this chapter::  
  
"I Dare You To Move" by Switchfoot  
  
Welcome to the planet   
Welcome to existence   
Everyone's here   
Everyone's here   
Everybody's watching you now   
Everybody waits for you now   
What happens next   
What happens next  
  
[Chorus]   
I dare you to move  
I dare you to move   
I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor   
I dare you to move   
I dare you to move   
Like today never happened   
Today never happened before  
  
Welcome to the fallout   
Welcome to resistance   
The tension is here   
Tension is here   
Between who you are and who you could be   
Between how it is and how it should be  
  
[Chorus]  
  
Maybe redemption has stories to tell   
Maybe forgiveness is right where you fell   
Where can you run to escape from yourself?   
Where you gonna go? Where you gonna go?   
Salvation is here  
  
I dare you to move   
I dare you to move   
I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor   
I dare you to move   
I dare you to move   
Like today never happened   
Today never happened   
Today never happened   
Today never happened before 


	16. Rachel's Destructive Thoughts

The next morning after Mr. Pendanski's outburst, and after everyone had finished their hole, Rachel stormed out of G-Tent with her arms tensed by her side and with a confident look on her stern dirt-blotched face.  
  
"Yo, look here." X-Ray said as him and the rest of the campers walked tiredly out of D-Tent. Some of them didn't even look close to being awake. X-Ray pointed at her.  
  
Rachel burst into Mr. Sir's cabin defiantly. He jumped.   
  
"I am not scared of you anymore and I am certainly not going to pretend that I'm fine with all of the bullshit in this camp!" Rachel snapped.  
  
Mr. Sir looked completely shocked.   
  
"And you call that dipshit Pendanski a counselor? He almost got me KILLED!" Rachel put a lot of emphasis on that last word as she flashed Mr. Sir a disgusted look. She turned her head so Mr. Sir could see her ear and the bruised flesh around it.  
  
"If anyone around here needs a counselor, it's him. Not to mention you and that stupid Warden." Rachel added, turning her head back forward to look at the flabbergasted Mr. Sir. She wasn't scared of him.  
  
Rachel didn't notice, but D and G Tent were all huddled behind the 2 small windows that revealed Mr. Sir's cabin. Their ears and eyes were pressed to the window as they all squished together, slightly fogging up the windows, to hear Mr. Sir get his butt kicked by a juvenile camper that he thought he had so much control over. Boy was he wrong.  
  
Mr. Sir gets up, all cool and independent, and spit his sunflower seed shells at Rachel's feet.   
  
He just stood there, lost for words. He knew that there was nothing he could say to persuade Rachel into anything else.  
  
"So! You just gonna sit there like a stupid coward?" Rachel snapped, folding her arms, "Well I guess the rumors are true then. You _are_ a coward." She smirked.  
  
"W-" Mr. Sir grumbled. He shuffled his feet and moved back and forth, looking Rachel up and down.  
  
"I know that lots of people in this camp are afraid of you, but I'm no coward." Rachel said quietly.  
  
A couple boys from D-Tent gave each other nervous looks. Oh they remembered very well when Mr. Sir threw Squid across the room for asking what happened to his face. It was one of the only times that all of Camp Green Lake was in silence. Until Mr. Pendanski opened his mouth, that is.  
  
Rachel starred into Mr. Sir's eyes. Mr. Sir starred right back, only to grab the collar of her orange jumpsuit and lift her up short after. He pushed her back into the wall behind his desk. Rachel felt how tense her back and neck really was as pain slightly went down her back.   
  
He spit in her face. Rachel exhaled sharply. D-Tent didn't make any movements, though a lot of them died to walk in there and protect Rachel. G-Tent just stayed glued to their spots, eyes wide. Zigzag's eyes looked like they would pop out of his head from the looks of them.  
  
Rachel squeezed her eyes shut, preparing for the worst. Mr. Sir dragged her across the room, the gun inside the holster digging into her side. Once he got to the door, he threw her onto the porch, hard. She slammed down and landed on the railing, loosing her breath in result from hitting her stomach. She fell off and rolled onto the hard dry ground.   
  
Her face was in the dirt as she clutched her stomach with both arms. _Stupid, stupid!_ She thought to herself. She knew that she had taken it too far with him. She was so stupid. She should've never done that. Sure, she had the confidence, but only now did she remember all of the things that her fellow campers had told them about good ol' Mr. Sir, and how awful the things truly were.  
  
She still couldn't find her breath as she saw D-Tent running around from the other side of the cabin, G-Tent right on their tails. Rachel's face was still smeared with Mr. Sir's large glob of spit.  
  
Magnet and Zigzag lifted Rachel up on her feet as Cate and Shorty helped keep her balance.   
  
"Are you okay Rachel?" Honey asked.  
  
"We didn't see what happened. We were just on the other side, peaking through the window. But it didn't sound good when you fell. All we saw was you hitting the railing." Strings said.  
  
Babygirl inhaled sharply as if in pain herself.   
  
"You're nose is bleeding!" Lucki exclaimed.  
  
Rachel lifted her hand to her nose and wiped off a little bit of blood. She kept silent.  
  
"Yeah, Mr. Sir's so mean. Nobody will ever listen to you." X-Ray said.  
  
"Danielle." Banana said.  
  
"What?" Caveman asked.  
  
"Danielle, she might listen! As far as we know from being with her on that bus ride, she seems like a reasonable person. We could try and see what she'll say." Banana said.  
  
"Okay, why don't you go talk to her then?" Cate said.  
  
"Uh, I don't really want to. I mean, what if she's _not_ who she seems…?" Banana said. Armpit and X-Ray rolled their eyes.   
  
Shorty and Cate continued to help Rachel stand and start walking to the Wreck Room.  
  
"I'll go talk to her." Courtney volunteered.  
  
"And I'll go with Dice." Squid said.   
  
"Okay, we'll just hang out in the Wreck Room until you guys get back." Zigzag said.

* * *

"But you have to do SOMETHING!" Courtney shouted at Danielle.  
  
"I'm sorry Courtney, but there is _nothing_ that I can do! I have already told you this!" Danielle said.  
  
"Are you even aware of what Rachel's been through? I mean, she's not some stupid whiner kid that complains about every single little thing! She cares about a lot of people here and she did have the slightest of hope that you would help her." Courtney said angrily.  
  
"Yeah, and do you even know about that Carla girl?" Squid snapped, taking the toothpick from his mouth and holding it in his hand, almost business like, "She just comes waltzing in here like she owns the place and assumes that we all know that Rachel has a twin. Even Rachel didn't know that! Who is she to treat people like this?!"  
  
"What are you talking about, Squid? Rachel doesn't have a twin, that's absurd!" Danielle exclaimed.  
  
"Well, you know _nothing_ about what happens at camp. You of all people should know what happens at camp, since you are a counselor…aren't you?" Squid said.  
  
"You have to do something!" Courtney shouted, "What would you do if you got hit by Mr. Pendanski and then smothered by Mr. Sir. Not to mention that she has a horrible reigning guilt of the past and now she has to believe that she has a twin. It's unbelievable Danielle, even you should know this!" Courtney said.  
  
Danielle stood there, hands by her side, not saying a word.  
  
"Come on Dice, it's no use." Squid said, putting his hand on her shoulder and leading her out of the counselor's tent. Mr. Pendanski was sitting on his own cot on the other side of the tent, not saying a word. He didn't look the slight bit guilty as he sat there proudly.  
  
Finally as the footsteps of Squid and Courtney were gone, Danielle walked slickly over to Mr. Pendanski. She sat down on the cot next to him and smiled flirtatiously.  
  
Mr. Pendanski looked like he had a whiff of air speed at him, yet there was no wind at Camp Green Lake. He smiled at Danielle.  
  
"Well done Danielle." Mr. Pendanski said.  
  
"Why thank you darlin'. But I'll have to ask the Warden about Carla, I have no idea who she is. And it wasn't just me who was clever these past couple days. You sure did teach that girl a lesson. And not to mention…" Danielle paused, "….I _am_ learning from the best."  
  
"I'm flattered." Mr. Pendanski said nervously, as Danielle leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

* * *

Rachel was lying on the couch with Zigzag and Cate sitting by her feet. Her hand was resting gently on the top of her head as she kept her eyes closed.   
  
"There was nothing we could do!" Courtney said angrily. Lucki and Magnet walked over to them to listen in as Courtney and Squid approached. Caveman, Honey, Zero, and Babygirl were writing on dirty pieces of paper. Honey blushed as she read something Caveman handed her. Courtney and Squid continued to fume as they told Lucki, Magnet, Rachel, Cate, and Zigzag the whole story about what they tried to explain to Danielle. X-Ray, Armpit, Banana, and Shorty were playing an extremely competitive girl against boy game of pool. From the looks of their faces, the girls were winning.   
  
Rachel jumped and opened her eyes when she heard Courtney.   
  
"I tried Rachel, I'm sorry. I even told her about Carla…who I haven't seen anywhere at all today I might add…but she didn't listen," Courtney said.  
  
Rachel sat up slowly as she held her bruised stomach, "Is it just me, or is everything different or new around here, happening to me?"   
  
"Well, if you think about it…you're the only one who's had it this rough at camp since Barfbag's time." Zigzag said.  
  
"Who's Barfbag?" Cate asked.  
  
Zigzag, Squid, and Magnet took turns telling the story of when Barfbag was at Camp Green Lake.  
  
The thought had never crossed her mind before, but she felt at ease with the idea of ending all of the suffering and pain in her life. In other words, she felt at ease at the thought about ending her life. 


	17. It's In You, Not Me

Rachel sighed and put her hands down by her side on the cot. She could not sleep. Partly from the horrible bruises she had on her head, ear, stomach, and leg. Her nose kept bleeding occasionally. As she lay on her cot, everyone else sleeping, she couldn't help but think that Squid seemed to be following her everywhere she went. Always there, always compromising, trying to make her feel loved.   
  
Rachel thought harder and harder, just thinking about everything that's happened in the past month.   
  
_He's always there for me._ Rachel thought. _I'm getting sick of it! I never thought I'd say something like that, but I just want to be alone. I want to be alone! And I can't take another one of Mr. Sir's no-word violent lectures. And I'm not going to stay here anymore. I want to be like Barfbag, away from Camp Green Lake._  
  
Rachel rolled over on her cot and thought some more. She had a number of things on her mind, so she decided to go walk it off.  
  
She pushed open the tent flap and walked out of the tent.  
  
As soon as she stepped out, she saw Carla and The Warden talking to one another by the Wreck Room. The Warden's cabin was pitch black. It was the first time Carla had been seen with a human's eye for a long time.  
  
Rachel narrowed her eyes in curiosity as she made her way around the tents, being as quiet as she could, carefully surveying her movements as to keep the pain from coming back. Until finally she made it to the side of The Wreck Room. She stopped tip-toeing as soon as she was well within earshot of the two.  
  
They were whispering.  
  
"Yes, I know that, Carla! Pendanski was stupid to mention anything. I understand that he doesn't know what's going on, but that was bullshit, what he pulled. I'm surrounded by cow terds." Rachel heard The Warden having a fit with Carla.  
  
"What is she doing here?" Carla exclaimed.  
  
"I would like to know the same thing Carla, so I would appreciate it if you stopped asking me that!" The Warden said sternly.  
  
"It needs to be answered." Carla said, putting her hands on her hips.  
  
"Excuse me? I am very well aware of that Carla." The Warden answered, "And now we've got a stupid cop calling here looking for her! I have a feeling that the cops are well on our case. We have to get that money right now. So I called your father. He didn't seem very worried about it, a little jumpy actually."  
  
_That's impossible! He's dead!_ Rachel thought.  
  
"Yeah he's always been that way. Look at how Rachel got away so easily." Carla whispered.  
  
"My point exactly."   
  
"So is he coming or what?" Carla asked.  
  
Rachel leaned forward to hear what they were saying, because this was crucial information that she needed to find out. She lost her footing in a small hole by the Wreck Room's base and she fell in a heap of dust. She couldn't help it, and coughed.  
  
"What was that?" Carla asked, "Go check. Someone might be over there."  
  
The Warden looked at Carla, "Excuse me? Don't tell me what to do young lady. You go over there." she said.  
  
"Huh, I ain't scared." Carla said, as she made her way to the side of the Wreck Room.  
  
Rachel's heart was pounding. She held her breath and looked around. There was nothing to hide behind, so she got up as fast as she could and ran the other direction. She looked back and saw Carla look around, but she didn't spot Rachel. It was too dark, and the light of the moon wasn't bright enough to illuminate Rachel's shadow.  
  
Rachel turned her head forward again and before she knew it, she was in the bottom of a hole, pain going through her ankle.  
  
"Oh," Rachel wimpered, "Shit!" She clutched her ankle.   
  
Rachel ignored the pain as much as she could and rested her head on the back of the hole. She started panicing. Her father, still alive? And why had she stressed over his death, when now, her worst nightmare had come true? She felt ignorant and stupid, and extremely guilty for treating all of her friends the way she had. Especially after everything they've done for her.  
  
She froze. In front of her were 2 Yellow Spotted Lizards. But she felt at ease. They never went after her, but something was telling her to pick one of them up. So she did. She held her arm out and starred vacantly at the lizard. Millions of thoughts were going through her head right now. She didn't want to handle it anymore, she couldn't take it. She was weak. Something had suddenly hit her. Her father was alive, and he was going to try and kill her. He did try the first time. She felt so lost.   
  
Rachel brought the lizard closer to her arm, when she heard shuffling of feet. She looked up and saw Squid standing above the hole. He jumped in.  
  
Rachel was delirious. Was she dreaming? Everything started to go blurry. Squid grabbed Rachel and pulled her out of the whole, and he kicked the lizard away.  
  
Rachel was now lying on her back on solid ground, out of the hole and away from anything like the Yellow Spotted Lizards, when she started sobbing. She covered her face with her dirty hands.  
  
Squid knelt down by her and pulled her hands away. He lifted her up and grasped her into a warm hug. No need for words.

* * *

Song for this chapter  
  
"You" by Switchfoot  
  
There's always something in the way   
There's always something getting through   
But it's not me   
It's You   
It's You  
  
Sometimes ignorance   
Rings true   
But hope is not in what I know   
It's not in me   
It's in You   
It's in You  
  
It's all I know   
It's all I know   
It's all I know  
  
And I find peace when I'm confused   
I find hope when I'm let down   
Not in me, Me, In You  
It's in You  
  
I hoped to lose myself for good   
I hope to find it in the end   
Not in me, Me,   
In You In You  
  
It's all I know   
It's all I know   
It's all I know  
  
In You  
In You   
It's in You   
In You  
  
There's always something in the way   
And there's something getting through  
  
But it's not me  
  
It's you   
It's you   
It's you   
It's you   
It's you   
It's all I know   
It's you   
It's you   
It's all I know 


	18. Strings and Food Complaints

Rachel heard the blow horn from a distance. She jumped. Her heart pounded for a second, then slowly returned to normal.   
  
She rubbed her eyes and looked around. She was on the rock, her secret hiding place, where Caveman had tried to kiss her weeks ago.   
  
"Ugh." Rachel groaned and coughed. She looked to her left and saw Squid laying there, sleeping.   
  
Then Rachel realized what had happened last night. She had tried to kill herself! It had been all too much…Carla, her father being alive, Mr. Pendanski, Danielle, Mr. Sir, the girls from G-Tent, and Squid. But most of all, the fact that she _could_ kill herself anytime she wanted. All she had to do was find a lizard. It was too easy.   
  
Rachel slowly tried to climb down from the rock when she heard Squid's voice.   
  
"Rachel."   
  
Rachel opened her mouth for a second and took a breath, "Uh…um, we uh, we have to go dig now." And she continued climbing down the rock.   
  
Squid stayed there as Rachel finally got to the bottom. She didn't want to face this day. She worried of all the possibilities that could happen. And now she felt too weird around Squid. She couldn't be mean to him anymore, which was fine, but she felt too uncomfortable in his presence.   
  
She was halfway across camp, feet away from the breakfast table, when Lucki stopped her.   
  
"Hello Rachel!" she said sweetly.   
  
"Oh, hi Lucki." Rachel said, trying to get past her.   
  
"Are you feeling better?" Lucki asked with sympathy.   
  
"Yeah Lucki, I am." Rachel smiled, nodding, "Much better. Just some bruises. But hey, it's not as bad as digging a hole every day."   
  
She nodded. "I have to ask you something important." she said.   
  
Rachel looked at her, "What is it Lucki?"   
  
"Why don't you like the name 'Ace'?"   
  
Rachel fixed her hair up into a tighter ponytail, "It's just really personal, and it hits home every time someone uses that name for me."   
  
"Oh, well if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here." Lucki said, "And I'm sure any of the girls would be happy to talk with you too. Especially Shorty and I, and Honey. And Strings. Well, all of us!"   
  
Rachel smiled gratefully, "Thanks Lucki. That means a lot."   
  
Lucki gave her a huge smile and said, "No problem Rachel! Oh, by the way, after we dig today, the D-Tent Boys, and of course us girls…have a surprise for you."   
  
"What?" Rachel asked, with a look of bewilderment.   
  
"You'll see." Lucki said suspiciously.   
  
As the girls were stuffing their breakfasts into their mouths, Rachel only saw a small glimpse of Squid with the other D-Tent guys. He was walking with Zigzag and X-Ray, holding his shovel, laughing and playing around with them.   
  
Rachel heard a gagging noise and then a small scream.   
  
"Gross!" Strings cried, "Can't they at _least_ provide the proper food? What a disgusting mess!" Strings then spit out her greasy cold tortilla.   
  
"Strings," Rachel said shaking her head, forcing back a smile, "You're gonna have to get used to it man. It's all we have for breakfast around here."   
  
Strings spat again, "I don't care. I'd rather starve! The least they can do is microwave it." She shuddered.   
  
Rachel laughed at her humor and pat her on the back once, as everyone in Camp Green Lake walked onto the dry deserted wasteland.   
  
A way away, in the distance, Squid watched Rachel laugh with the girls who all began to dig their hole. He looked at her continuously. It gave him a funny feeling. He knows that Rachel is secretly teaching Squid even though she had no idea. Teaching him what…Squid didn't know, but he knew that it meant something and that she was saving him from a life full of pain. He finally felt needed, which was something Squid had been waiting for all his life.   
  
Song for this chapter!   
  
"Learning to Breathe" by Switchfoot (From Rachel's AND Squid's point of view. For lots of different reasons)   
  
Italic for Rachel's point of view, and bold for Squid's. And normal font, for both.   
  
Hello, good morning, how you do?   
What makes your risin' sun so new?   
I could use a fresh beginning too   
All of my regrets are nothing new   
So this is a way, that I say I need You   
This is a way   
This is a way   
  
That I'm learning to breathe   
I'm learning to crawl   
I'm finding that you and you alone can break my fall   
I'm living again, awake and alive   
I'm dying to breathe in these abundant skies   
  
Hello, good morning, how you been?   
Yesterday left my head kicked in   
I never, never thought that   
I would fall like that   
Never knew that I could hurt this bad   
  
I'm learning to breathe   
I'm learning to crawl   
I'm finding that you and you alone can break my fall   
I'm living again, awake and alive   
I'm dying to breathe in these abundant skies   
These abundant skies   
Yeah, abundant skies, yeah   
  
This is a way that I say I need You   
This is a way that I say I love You   
This is a way that I say I'm Yours   
This is a way   
This is a way   
  
That I'm learning to breathe   
I'm learning to crawl   
(Leaning to breathe)   
I'm finding that you and you alone can break my fall   
I'm living again, awake and alive   
(Living again, awake and alive)   
I'm dying to breathe in these abundant skies   
(I'm dyin')   
Yes I'm dying to breathe in   
(I'm dyin')   
These abundant skies   
These abundant skies, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah   
I'm learning to breathe   
I'm dying to breathe in these abundant skies   
Hello, good morning, how you do?   
How you do?   
How you do?   
Breathe 


	19. The Desert Birthday Party

Rachel spat in her hole around 3 or 4 o'clock in the evening, and half dragged, half carried her shovel back to camp with her. Not many of the girls were holding conversations as they dug today, because it seemed to Rachel that the heat had risen overnight.   
  
Rachel changed into clean clothes after she took a shower. Now she had on tan shorts with a white shirt that said "Puppy Love" on the front in red lettering.   
  
She slipped on her CGL boots and walked into G-Tent. She paused as she just got in the tent. She backed up and looked up at the sign that she had seen the other day with Zero. A smile crept across her face.   
She ran back into the tent and searched each of the girls' bags for any kind of makeup to write on the sign that Mr. Pendanski had put up. No luck.   
  
"Shoot!" Rachel said sarcastically. She shook her head like a failure, then just ran over to the sign and pulled it off. She threw it aside, and laughed.   
  
Just as she was getting settled on her cot, Honey comes running in, panting hard.   
  
"Whoa slow down girl, what's up?" Rachel asked.   
  
"You have to come quick! Behind A-Tent." Honey answered.   
  
"Why? Where's everyone else?" Rachel asked.   
  
"Just come on!" Honey exclaimed. She ran over to Rachel's cot and grabbed her hand, "Come on!" she said again.   
  
Rachel looked at her, not knowing what the heck was going on.   
  
"Yikes what happened to the no boys sign?" Honey asked as she looked at the sign on the ground, not letting go of Rachel's hand.   
  
"I tore it off." Rachel said forcing back a smile. It didn't work, and she broke into a huge grin.   
  
Honey gave her a bespectacled look.   
  
"What?! The boys don't got no signs saying we aren't allowed in there, so it's only fair!" Rachel said, and laughed.   
  
Honey rolled her eyes with a smile. Finally they reached the back of A-Tent.   
  
"Okay, you wanna tell me what's going on here Honey?" Rachel asked, once they were behind the tent.   
  
"Just wait." Honey said excitedly.   
  
"You know I can get it out of you." Rachel said.   
  
"Yeah that's why I'm praying that you'll shut up!" Honey exclaimed. Both of the girls burst into laughter.   
  
Someone whistled loudly.   
  
"Okay we can go." Honey said and started walking back to G-Tent.   
  
"Go where? Back to G-Tent?" Rachel sighed, "What's going on Honey --"   
  
"SURPRISE!!"   
  
Rachel's mouth went wide as she walked into G-Tent.   
  
"Oh my gosh! What's all this for?" Rachel asked with the biggest smile on her face.   
  
"It's your birthday of course!" Magnet exclaimed.   
  
"Oh my gosh!" Rachel shouted again.   
  
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" everybody yelled.   
  
Everybody was there….X-Ray, Armpit, Zigzag, Magnet, Caveman, Zero, Shorty, Banana, Cate, Courtney, Lucki, Strings, Babygirl, of course Honey, and even Squid. And they all had something in their hands to give Rachel.   
  
"I don't believe this!" Rachel said, "I forgot my own birthday, and now yall are remembering it for me!"   
  
"O'course we are Rachel! We're your friends and we love you!" Cate said, running up to her and giving her a big hug. They both walked to the group of campers.   
  
"So how does it feel to finally be 18?" Squid asked with a smile.   
  
Rachel shook her head peacefully, "I--I don't really know, I feel like I've grown _and_ weakened in these past months. I feel a lot older." she nodded.   
  
"Yeah." Squid whispered.   
  
Even X-Ray had given away this day to make it a good one. He had a smile on his face and he looked as energetic as ever, having fun with everybody.   
  
Magnet laughed at something Caveman and Zero were talking about. Rachel laughed at Magnet, his laugh was hilarious.   
  
"Okay we all got something for ya," X-Ray said, and tossed something. Rachel caught it, to see that it was a CD.   
  
"X-Ray, how'd you get this?" Rachel asked smiling.   
  
"X-Ray and I went to Pendanski and asked him if we could have more music for the Wreck Room. But we made it sound like it was his idea." Shorty said.   
  
"Wow!" Rachel said, opening the CD.   
  
"Yeah, but then he started going on and on about this one band, someone ancient and boring. The Rolling Rocks, I think." X-Ray said.   
  
"It's The Rolling STONES you moron!" Squid laughed.   
  
"Shut up!" X-Ray said, the independent look never leaving his face.   
  
"Anyway, we told him they were our favorite group, too. He started naming songs we'd never heard of, and we'd say stuff like 'Rock on' and 'Awesome licks.' Made him feel like he was the coolest cat in the state of Texas." Shorty said. Everyone laughed.   
  
"So he let us in to the little room where there's the computer, ya know, where all the campers' files are. And we downloaded some. I got Cate to tell me some of your favorite Rock songs," X-Ray explained.   
  
Rachel opened her mouth, "Thank you X-Ray. Shorty! I don't know what else to say. I absolutely love it." she smiled.   
  
"No problem, you can listen to it in the Wreck Room tonight." Shorty said.   
  
Rachel hugged the both of them.   
  
"Hey hey hey…check this out Rachel." Caveman said, with Zero, Honey, and Babygirl right behind him.   
  
"It's from Babygirl, Caveman, Honey, and I." Zero said, handing her a folded up piece of paper. Everyone sat around on the cots, even Rachel who was sitting on her own. They all eyed Rachel as she unfolded it.   
  
"Since you're so good at digging holes, we thought we'd give you a hard time about _learning_ how, even if you don't need to. Besides, it'll give you a laugh." Caveman said, smiling.   
  
It was a hand-drawn picture that said 'HOW TO DIG A HOLE' on the top. There were six pictures, all of them were numbered and in order. The first picture was of the ground, dry and slightly cracked. The second had an arrow pointing toward the earth with a shovel stuck inside of the ground. The third picture was the same thing, but with two arrows, and somebody's feet standing on the top of the shovel blade. The fourth had an arrow as well, but this time pointing toward the sky as the shovel was filled with dirt, standing parallel with the ground. The fifth had another arrow, this time curving backwards, with a picture of somebody holding a shovel and tossing the dirt through the air. The last picture merely said 'Repeat.".   
  
Rachel burst into laughter, "It's brilliant! I love it so much! That's so sweet of yall, it's cute. Thank you."   
  
"You're welcome." Zero said as Caveman and Honey nodded. Babygirl smiled at Zero shyly.   
  
"By the way, uh, Rachel, sorry about what happened that day. I don't know what I was thinking." Caveman said so only Rachel could hear. He was referring to when he had tried to kiss her.   
  
"Don't worry about it Caveman." Rachel said. Caveman grabbed Honey's hand as they walked over to Babygirl's cot, where her and Zero continued glancing at each other shyly.   
  
"Let me see it again!" Babygirl exclaimed. Honey and Babygirl both cooed and said, 'aww, how sweet' as they glanced at Zero and Caveman, even if they had already known about it.   
  
"These are for you Rachel," Magnet said, tossing her a small mini bag of sunflower seeds.   
  
"You didn't…" Rachel said, smiling as she opened it.   
  
Magnet nodded guiltily, "Lucki and I stole em. But it was for a good cause!" Rachel laughed as she took a handful.   
  
"Thanks Magnet and Lucki! Anyone want some?" Rachel asked.   
  
Some of the guys and girls walked over to grab a handful.   
  
Lucki batted her eyelashes in Magnet's direction. He looked at her and winked, only to blush afterwards and look away. Lucki walked over to where Magnet was sitting on Strings' cot, and she sat down next to him.   
  
Zigzag carefully hid something behind his back as he began walked over to where Rachel was sitting. He handed her a TV Guide with the cast of Star Trek on the ripped front cover. It was dated March 22, 1998.   
  
"Oh my gosh, Zigzag! Isn't this like, your lifeline? You can't live without it?" Rachel asked, shocked that Zigzag would even let her touch it.   
  
"Yeah, but I don't care about that anymore. I have a different lifeline." he said.   
  
"And what's that?" Rachel asked, curiously.   
  
Zigzag pulled Cate over to her, holding onto her elbow.   
  
"Whoa!" Cate said as she almost fell down.   
  
"She is." he said, pointing at her. He looked at Cate and smiled.   
  
Cate gave a small giggle with the biggest smile, and blushed slightly.   
  
"Aww!" Rachel said. Cate nodded at Rachel in agreement. She smiled up at the tall Zigzag. The walked with their arms around each other's wastes over to Cate's cot.   
  
"And I didn't really get you anything that you can have right now, but I _did_ put in a suggestion in Mr. Pendanski's new suggestion box that could help you if The Warden listens." Armpit explained, "and Banana helped me." he added.   
  
"That's ok Armpit, thanks." Rachel said smiling, "What was your suggestion?"   
  
"It was for the showers. If our suggestion works, then you'll be able to benefit from the shower better. It will shut off for 60 seconds while you apply the soap, so you don't waste anymore water than you need to." he said. Banana smiled excitedly.   
  
"That's really nice of you guys! Thanks!" Rachel said smiling.   
  
He started walking across the tent to sit on a cot. Then he paused, turned back around and said to Rachel, "Uh, that doesn't mean that you stink or anything. And even if you did, nobody would ever realize since I drown out all the smell, good and bad." he winked. Banana grabbed his hand and pulled him over to a cot. They sat down, hand in hand.   
  
Rachel smiled and laughed. She looked up and saw Squid walking toward her with something hidden behind his back. She could easily tell that he was doing everything he could to hold back his excitement and enthusiasm. Rachel looked up at him innocently and sweet.   
  
"For the new CD you got," he said, and handed her a Walkman, "I stole it."   
  
"Oh my gosh, you stole this from Mom?" Rachel exclaimed.   
  
"Yeah, I uh…switched it with your broken one. I kept his precious little sticker on the side too, which said 'Mr. Pendanski, Counselor of D-Tent' on it."   
  
Rachel laughed, "I'd like to see his face when he finds out that his is broken." she said.   
  
Squid nodded.   
  
"Thanks Squid." Rachel said. It meant a lot more to her than it would most people. She couldn't understand why. Maybe it was because he was there when she ruined hers, since it almost hit him when she threw it.   
  
She looked at everything in her hands. Simple little items that mean so much to her now, because each and every one of them had a lot of love and thought put into it. She looked up at everyone, and finally felt at home. For the very first time since her mother had died, Rachel felt at home. 


	20. Somebody Else

There must've been a lot of secret crushes or blossoming love relationships that Rachel didn't know about. Due to the fact that a lot of the girls and guys have paired up already. Over on two cots were Caveman and Zero, deep into conversation with Honey and Babygirl. Knowing him, Zero hardly ever said anything, especially now since he secretly admires Babygirl. But he sometimes flashes a sweet smile and blushes ever so often.   
  
Rachel already knew that Zigzag and Cate like each other. They always hung out wherever they went. Cate was one of the only people that didn't think he was weird for being paranoid. Personally, she thought it was cute. The biggest advantage was that they became great friends first, which mattered the most to them.   
  
Lucki and Magnet would always flirt. From the very start, Lucki picked out her guy whether the others liked it or not. And this time it happened to be the animal-lover with a cute Mexican accent. Priceless to Lucki. They sat two cots away from Rachel…Lucki safe in Magnet's warm arms as they continued to chat with Shorty and X-Ray. Now Shorty and X-Ray, that's a complete different story.   
  
Shorty had never been the type to go crazy over boys, or the flirty type. She can't even remember the last time she wore a dress. Not to mention, makeup. She will never be seen with anything pink or girly like. She always considered herself one of the guys, and always got along with them. So dating or having a boyfriend was out of the question right now. And X-Ray couldn't accept that. He really did like her. They both sat with their elbows on their knees and they intently listened and talked with Lucki and Magnet.   
  
Even Armpit had a girl to call his own, for once. Since Banana was so warm-hearted and nice, she saw the heart of the person she met. Even though he stunk and may have a bad attitude at times, Banana saw the good in him. And that was good enough for her. Armpit was just a big teddy bear that needed someone to hug. And to his luck, Banana had found him. They didn't talk much that night, they just watched and listened to everybody's conversations, sitting 3 cots away from Lucki and Magnet.   
  
Now with Strings, it's completely different. She felt a little excluded from the rest. Not only because she didn't have a guy to flirt with or to swoon over, but also because of her past. Everyone here seemed to not be held back by their pasts, which were haunting. But Strings was very well aware of how hard Rachel's past must be for her. But that didn't comfort her. It made her feel less alone, but it gave her no comfort. She just sat on her cot in the very corner of the tent, watching everyone from the shadows. She looked very mysterious to Rachel, like she had something that she wanted to say, or something that she was hiding. Rachel looked at Squid who was sitting right across from Rachel's cot, and spoke to him through her eyes. He nodded. At that, Rachel got up from her own cot and walked over to Strings'.   
  
"Hey, what's up Strings?" Rachel asked, lightly hitting the side of Strings' leg with her hand, as she sat down next to her.   
  
"Oh, nothing much really." Strings answered, "I'm just…." she paused.   
  
Rachel looked at her, "Strings. If you have something to say, your secret's safe with me."   
  
Strings looked pained, "I uh…I know that I can talk to you and not worry about what you'll think of me. I know that something haunts you about your past. And I guess, well, I can sort of relate to that."   
  
Rachel nodded.   
  
"I saw you and Squid last night, when he pulled you away from suicide." Strings said quickly. Relief swept over her as she sighed. She finally had let it out and told her.   
  
Rachel nodded once more, but couldn't find words.   
  
"I won't tell anyone." Strings said, looking down.   
  
"I know you won't." Rachel said with a small smile.   
  
A tear streamed down Strings' face.   
  
"I just…" she cried, "I can't handle this anymore Rachel!" More tears poured from her face with a look of desperation.   
  
"Come here sweetie." Rachel said as she pulled her into a hug. Then Strings followed her out of the tent so they could be alone.   
  
"Do you want to tell me about it?" Rachel asked once they got outside, putting her hands on Strings' shoulders.   
  
She nodded.   
  
"Okay, I'm listening." Rachel said.   
  
Strings then began to tell her story of how her parents had gotten a divorce when she was 13 years old. Her mother had still been an alcoholic and a smoker when Strings had gotten sent to Camp Green Lake. She hasn't gotten any letters since, and for all she knows…her mother could be dead somewhere and she would never know.   
  
"I would always get teased and beat up at school. Even the other kids that got teased would tease me. I don't know, it was like I was the low-life at school." Strings said.   
  
Rachel hugged her, "You don't have to tell me anymore, if you don't want. I pretty much know it. How awful you feel here at camp now."   
  
Strings nodded.   
  
"Does anyone else know this, besides me?" Rachel asked.   
  
"No. It's always been my secret." Strings said.   
  
"Okay." Rachel said, "Let's go back inside and be ourselves. Without any worry, without any pain. Let's just have fun and talk with everyone else."   
  
Strings smiled.   
  
Rachel couldn't help but think that what she just said to Strings, was exactly what Rachel had needed to hear when she was on the brink of suicide. Someone needed to tell her that. Strings walked into the tent, but Rachel stood there, right in the entrance. Someone _had_ told her. Only not in words. Rachel's stomach did flips as she finally felt loved, not only at home, but someone here cares for her. And she knew very well who that was.   
  
Rachel entered G-Tent and looked around at everyone. They were all still seated on their original cots and talking. Strings sat down on her cot with Courtney as they whispered together and giggled at the other campers. Rachel smiled and sat down on her own cot.   
  
Squid walked over to Rachel and sat on her cot, taking her by surprise.   
  
"Oh! I didn't see you coming." Rachel said.   
  
"I know darling, zat iz why people call me myzteriouz." Squid said, imitating the French accent.   
  
Rachel giggled, "What'd ya want?"   
  
Squid shook his head, "I don't know."   
  
"What'd you mean you don't know?" Rachel said sternly, with a stubborn look on her face. Squid knew she was being sarcastic.   
  
"I guess…I just wanted to see you." he said.   
  
"Mm?" Rachel murmured.   
  
After some silence and a lot of starring, Rachel just couldn't stand it anymore.   
  
"Squid." she said.   
  
"What?" Squid said.   
  
"I feel like…well, I feel like we need to talk about the other night." Rachel said.   
  
"Okay. Why?"   
  
"I don't know. Because I just feel strange about it all, I guess."   
  
"Alright." Squid said, looking deep into her eyes. Rachel's stomach did cartwheels.   
  
"Listen. I--" she paused, "I want you to know that I have never…ever….had thoughts like I did that night. I mean everything with my father still being alive and-and….Carla storming in here and ruining everything, and how I'm being treated around here. It's just all crazy! This isn't reality, what is wrong with these people?!"   
  
Squid didn't answer.   
  
"I know I shouldn't complain but --"   
  
Squid cut her off, "Listen Rachel…you don't have to explain yourself. I understand. Don't pressure yourself to tell me your life-story and don't worry yourself over the past anymore. Let it go." Squid said.   
  
Rachel nodded quickly in short movements, "I just don't know if I _can_." she said, looking down, "It's a big step for me. I know I sound like a baby. But I'm really attached to my past. I hate it, but I love it too. I just don't know if I can let it go."   
  
"Of course you can. If you're the fiery-strong girl that arrived at Camp Green Lake two months ago, that I, myself, argued and fought with directly…" Rachel chuckled, "Than you can overcome _anything_." Squid said.   
  
"I don't know, it's just not that simple. Something very important and close to me, well, a lot of things, I feel are holding me back."   
  
"What things?" Squid asked her.   
  
"It's kind of a-- well, it's a secret. I know it sounds stupid. But my meaning for 'secret' is a lot different than what most people use the word for. Mine's deep, and it hurts. Not just my father or Carla. It's something else."   
  
"What is it Rachel? You can tell me."   
  
Rachel sighed.   
  
"Rachel."   
  
"What?" she asked painfully.   
  
"I care about you." Squid said.   
  
"I--" Rachel stammered.   
  
"I do. And I want you to know that. I want you to feel at peace with your past. I feel like I've known you all my life, or that we were meant to meet each other."   
  
Rachel couldn't believe what he was saying. And she couldn't believe that she was thinking either. He's crazy to say that, yet it's great that he's being straight out. She felt vulnerable, but herself, around Squid. But she hesitated in her mind, from the question he asked her. She….didn't. She didn't love him. She _couldn't._   
  
"It just --" Rachel couldn't find the words to say, she was all choked up, "I…really do appreciate that, Squid. But I can't go into a relationship now. I just…can't. I don't want to, and I can't. My past isn't letting me, and thinking about being with you just…" Rachel put her head down. "Hurts." she said.   
  
Squid didn't look at her.   
  
"There's someone….else." Rachel admitted.   
  
Before Squid could say anything or look at her, Armpit budded it and said, "Hey y'all Mr. P wants us to go back to the tents."   
  
Rachel and Squid broke their stare at one another and looked at Armpit. Rachel nodded. They gave each other one last glance, as did the rest of the girls with their new crushes, and all of the D-Tent campers waved and gave their goodbyes.   
  
"Don't worry about it, Rachel. I'll see you tomorrow." he said quickly, and walked out of the tent faster than Rachel could comprehend what he had said.

* * *

From Squid's point of view: Song for this chapter….   
  
"Run To Me" by Clay Aiken   
  
Don't, you don't have to save my life   
No, you're not ready I can feel it   
Outside it's raining, but I'll just go home   
Someday your heart will just let him go   
  
As soon as you get that feeling   
You can start to live again   
As soon as the worst is over   
You can make it all make sense   
Right now I can't give you what you need   
As soon as you get that feeling... run to me   
  
Hush, you don't have to say a word   
Trust, I'm not going to hate you for it   
Feels like my touch only brings back the pain   
Someday those memories will fade away   
  
As soon as you get that feeling   
You can start to live again   
As soon as the worst is over   
You can make it all make sense   
Right now I can't give you what you need   
As soon as you get that feeling... run to me   
  
How can I be brave enough to say good-bye   
I'd die inside without you, ohhh   
Can't you see it's hard enough to walk away   
Don't look at me, you make me wrong,   
I've been through this to make me strong   
  
As soon as you get that feeling   
You can start to live again, oh   
As soon as the worst is over   
You can make it all make sense   
Right now I can't give you what you need   
As soon as you get that feeling,   
As soon as you get that feeling… run to me 


	21. Squid's Shattered Dreams

Immediately soon after the boys left the tent, the girls gossiped away.   
  
"Oh my gosh, did you see the look on Magnet's face when I told him that he was cute?" Lucki exclaimed, "Oh my gosh, it's priceless!" she swooned.   
  
"Hehe, yeah…Zero's real cute." Babygirl said dreamily.   
  
Strings and Courtney paid no attention to the others as they sat on Cate's cot.   
  
"Hey, what'd you and Squid talk about?" Cate asked eagerly.   
  
"Um...well, nothing. Really." Rachel assured.   
  
"Nah, give us the details!" Shorty said, waving her hand in front of her to indicate that she knew Rachel was lying.   
  
"Really. Neither one of us could find a word worth opening our mouths and loosing our energy for! Seriously you guys, give it up." Rachel smiled.   
  
"Aww." Banana cood.   
  
Cate and Honey laughed.   
  
"It's true love!" Honey exclaimed.   
  
Rachel couldn't do anything but laugh.   
  
"Anyone in their right minds can tell that you were blushing when he sat next to you." Courtney giggled.   
  
"Okay you guys, listen to me. I do not have a crush on Squid. It's different, he's a brother to me! Besides, I already have a boyfriend." Rachel said, maintaining her serious face.   
  
"Liar." Shorty hissed sarcastically. She laughed with Lucki.   
  
"Okay you wanna know the real reason why I was blushing?" Rachel asked.   
  
"We already know!" Strings laughed.   
  
"Yes, we do want to know! Why Rachel?" Babygirl exclaimed, shooting Strings a deafening look. Her face was filled with excitement.   
  
"Because I was nervous around him! Not because I just like him. I was nervous because my first kiss was with him and we are passionately in love. There, you happy now?" Rachel snapped. A lot of the girls didn't know if what she said was expressed sarcastically, or if it was real. But all of them didn't move and didn't say anything. But what Rachel said, sounded completely insane….even to herself. That would never happen. She's in love with someone else.   
  
"I'm joking, guys!" Rachel laughed at their faces, as they…soon enough…laughed along with her.

* * *

"I don't understand it! How can she NOT like this?" X-Ray said, flexing his arms.   
  
"Aww man why'd ya have to show us that? This tent is supposed to be G-rated." Armpit joked.   
  
"Shut up! But seriously…Shorty didn't even give me a single sign." X-Ray said.   
  
"I wonder why." Squid mumbled sarcastically. Nobody heard him. He still couldn't forget about what Rachel said and how she looked when he finally told her how he felt. It was true, Squid was just having a stupid teenage crush and Rachel didn't have any feelings for him. _How could I have been so stupid?_ He thought to himself.   
  
Magnet looked up at the top of the tent dreamily as he kept the vision of Lucki's face in his head, "She really is beautiful. Did I mention that yet?"   
  
"Sure did." Caveman said, "But no girl could ever measure up to Honey. She's the most beautiful girl I've ever seen." he smiled.   
  
X-Ray smirked at the thought of how easy Magnet gets the girl. Magnet sensed X-Ray's envy.   
  
"Girls go for the accent rather than the bod, got it?" Magnet said.   
  
Zigzag laughed suspiciously, "Oooh-ho-ho nice come-back Magnet."   
  
"Oh so you side with _him_?" X-Ray asked.   
  
Zigzag looked around with wide eyes.   
  
"Who gives a monkey's ass to which person Zig sides with? He's crazy anyway." Armpit said.   
  
"Aww come on man, those remarks are gettin' old." Squid said, "I don't suppose _you_ have your eye on a girl. Well actually, the better choice of words are…'I don't suppose that any girl has her eye on _you_."   
  
Everyone burst into laughter. Even Zero couldn't hold back his smile.   
  
"As a matter of fact, I do." Armpit said proudly, sitting up more straight, "Nobody can resist the sexy smell on moi."   
  
"You're lyin'." X-Ray said, completely shocked that a girl has the hots for Armpit rather than X-Ray first off.   
  
Magnet tried to cover up his fits of laughter, but failed. He pointed his finger in X-Ray's direction, "He ain't lying X! The girl really did like him!"   
  
"What?!" X-Ray shouted. Everyone else laughed along with Magnet.   
  
"What about you Zero, you haven't said anything all night." Zigzag said.   
  
"Old news." Armpit said.   
  
"Yeah, what'd ya expect? Zero isn't gonna talk, especially if he likes a girl." Squid said.   
  
Zero blushed.   
  
"Oh so you _do_ have your eye on somebody!" Magnet said, winking.   
  
"Shut up." Zero said, flashing an embarrassed smile.   
  
Caveman smiled. Squid looked around at everyone. They were all smiling and talking, and none of them seemed to notice a bit of difference in Squid's attitude. More than anybody in the world would ever know, Squid was broken inside. Rachel was his only dream he had ever hoped for since wishing his father would come home.

* * *

Song for this chapter!   
  
"Falling Down" by Avril Lavigne   
  
If fear's what makes us decide   
Our future journey   
Well I'm not along for a ride   
Cause I'm still yearning   
To try and touch the sun   
My fingers burning   
Before you're old you are young   
Yeah, I'm still learning   
  
I am falling down   
Try and stop me   
It feels so good to hit the ground   
You can watch me   
Fall right on my face   
It's an uphill human race   
And I am falling down   
  
I'm standing out in the street   
The earth is moving   
I feel it under my feet   
And I'm still proving   
That I can stand my ground   
And my feet aren't there   
Haven't washed my hair   
To be lost before you are found   
Don't mean you're losing   
  
I am falling down   
Try and stop me   
It feels so good to hit the ground   
You can watch me   
Fall right on my face   
It's an uphill human race   
And I am falling down   
  
Some day I'll live in a house   
Et cetera, Et cetera, Et cetera   
But you know that's not for now   
And for now I'm falling down, down, down   
Down, down, down   
Down, down, down   
Yeah-eee-yeah-eee-yeah   
  
I am falling down   
Try and stop me   
It feels so good to hit the ground   
You can watch me   
Fall right on my face   
It's an uphill human race   
And I am falling down   
I'm falling down, falling down   
Falling, falling, falling   
Falling   
It feels so good to hit the ground   
I am falling, falling down 


	22. The Death

Dirk tried his cell phone as he kicked the back tire of his car. Pain seared through his ankle, but he couldn't care less.  
  
"Walker! I need some assistance." he said through his phone.  
  
_What is it this time, Dirk?_  
  
"All because of your 'digging-to-build-character' shit, my truck is stuck in a hole." he said angrily.  
  
_And what exactly does that have to do with me, Mr. Harrison? It surely is YOUR problem._  
  
"What do you mean??" Dirk shouted. "If you want me to come, than I suggest that you haul your own ass over here and give me a ride."  
_  
I will send a counselor….but until then you'll just have to wait._  
  
"How long?"   
  
_However long it should take. Good-bye Dirk._   
  
And the phone line went dead.  
  
----  
  
Officer Mansley zoomed down the road only to slam on his breaks shortly after. He looked through his rear-view mirror and saw a truck. The same truck that he had been chasing Dirk in. He narrowed his eyes as he un-clipped the holster that had safely held in his pistol. He kept his hand on it at all times as he got out of his own truck and slowly approached Dirk's.  
  
Mansley heard shuffling noises in a disgrace manner, knowing immediately who it was and what he was doing. Dirk was obviously angry about something, which Mansley had no doubt it was because his truck was stuck in a hole.  
  
Mansley shot his gun at the tire so Dirk would know he was there.  
  
"Don't move!!" Mansley shouted, holding onto the gun tightly, his shoulders broad, as he continued to walk toward Dirk.  
  
"We know you're there, we know who you are, and we know what you're doing. Come out where we can see you!" Mansley used one of his best techniques. To use the word 'we' a lot. It almost always makes the suspect a little spooked.  
  
Dirk growled and laughed drunkenly, "Ohhh I'm not scared a you."   
  
"Put your hands on your head." Mansley yelled.  
  
Dirk obeyed and came out behind the shadow of the truck and climbed the hole. He slowly walked toward Mansley in defeat with his hands over his head.  
  
Mansley walked toward him as they both met in the middle of the road. With one hand, Mansley held the gun to Dirk's neck, and held his hands with the other. Once he reached the truck, Mansley slammed him against it and started to cuff him.  
  
"Tsk tsk tsk, not too smart for a cop." Dirk said, and flew his hands around, hitting Mansley right on the bottom of his chin, making his neck fly back. Right before Mansley fell to the ground, Dirk snatched his gun from his right hand. The hand-cuffs didn't clip all the way on Dirk's hands, so it hung lifeless from one of his wrists. Dirk cracked his neck twice as he turned it each way.  
  
"You stupid idiot. You think you can arrest me by yourself. Pitiful, I really do feel sorry for you." Dirk said, shaking his head. He looked inside the gun for bullets.  
  
"I hope you know what you're doing, Dirk... I just want to talk with you. Take it easy." Mansley said uneasily, holding his left hand up above him. But Dirk was in total control now.   
  
"Hah! Nice try." Dirk cackled, and loaded the gun.  
  
"No…No!" Mansley yelled.  
  
"No…no." Dirk imitated in a high-pitched sing-song voice, holding his hands wimpily out from his side. He howled, "You know I'm going to kill you. Why the wait?"  
  
"Because…because I.." Mansley thought hard and quickly, "Because I'm deserting the service. I was only looking for you so I could be your partner."  
  
"Hmm…." Dirk thought sarcastically, "than why would you take the time to point a gun at my head…huh Mr. Know-It-All?" Then he pointed the gun at Mansley's torso, and pulled the trigger. Finally, with his unfinished business accomplished, he stepped into Officer Alex Mansley's truck, and sped off into the horizon. 


	23. Luke Maguire Rather Than Alan Smith

The next morning, by the sound of the bugel horn, Rachel was the first to climb out of her cot and get ready to dig another hole.   
  
Someone groaned. "I don't wanna get up!" It was Strings. Typical good 'ole Strings. Rachel laughed. Strings pulled the covers up over her head and slammed her hands down.  
  
"I don't think anyone does, Strings." Rachel said, pulling on her boots. All of the girls slowly awakened with yawns, groans, and stretches.  
  
"BUT….the only plus, is that there are boys out there!" Lucki said, mouth open wide. She looked around the tent, searching for the other girls' enthusiasm.  
  
Shorty sighed, "No boy will ever make me happy about going out there and working my ass off."   
  
"Yeah, I agree with Shorty. Besides, they're not even digging with us anymore." Courtney said. Cate sat behind her, smiling at the thought of Zigzag, almost finished with her braiding job on Courtney's hair. She could not get him off her mind. And she knew it was the same with all of the other girls.  
  
"Okay, enough chit-chat. The sooner I get out there and dig, the better." Rachel said, and got up and walked out of the tent.  
  
"Forget her! I could talk all day." Lucki said, head held high, more proud than ever. She giggled.  
  
"Alright girls, we better get going." Honey said, as she sighed and pulled herself out of her cot.  
  
"I feel so heavy, like lead." Babygirl complained. She walked over to her boots, with her back slumped over like a hunch-back.  
  
"The result of your first week of digging. Come on, let's go." Cate said, tapping Courtney on her back to indicate she was finished with braiding. Banana groaned from the corner of the tent, still tucked snuggly in the blankets.  
  
"Come on, girl." Honey said, pushing Banana's legs.  
  
"Fine, fine." Banana said, and got up slowly.  
  
"Nobody wants to Banana."   
  
At that, the girls all got up reluctantly and walked out of the tent to grab their breakfast and refresh themselves for another long miserable day.   
  
As hard as it was for her, Rachel decided that for the rest of the day, she would forget about everything that was said between her and Squid the night before. All he was talking about were things that could never come true for her. Her true love was waiting for her back in North Carolina. Her true home was there. And her heart was in the hands of Luke Maguire.   
  
"I don't love Squid." Rachel whispered slowly, "He was just being stupid. I- Squid's just….No, I love Luke."   
  
She looked across the desert to where Squid was digging with the rest of D-Tent. Everyone seemed more cheerful than usual, except for Squid. Rachel felt anger rise up inside her, anger at Squid…at Cal…at herself. _Why do I always stop myself from doing what I think feels like the right thing?_ Rachel thought. Then another part of her shook that thought and said that she could not, would not, and will not be with Squid. _It's just a stupid romance. Relationships that bond through disastrous times don't last long. And all I would be getting myself into is another heart-break._  
  
Those words continuously went through her mind all day, until something broke her concentration. A truck. Driving into Camp Green Lake. It felt as if the whole world was watching Dirk Harrison as he stepped out of a police pickup truck all cool and slick. It seemed that he and Mr. Sir were somewhat alike. He began to see people in orange jumpsuits, digging holes. He nodded with an evil grin when he saw tents and a couple cabins. He felt a tinge of anxiety as he walked up to the cabin, thinking of what Miss Walker was going to say to him.  
  
----  
  
Song for this chapter…  
  
Okay this fits in perfectly with everything that's happening between Rachel and Squid, how both of their dreams haven't come true, and how the complete opposite has become.  
  
"Ironic" by Alanis Morissette  
  
An old man turned ninety-eight   
He won the lottery and died the next day   
It's a black fly in your Chardonnay   
It's a death row pardon two minutes too late   
Isn't it ironic... don't you think?   
  
It's like rain on your wedding day   
It's a free ride when you've already paid   
It's the good advice that you just didn't take   
Who would've thought... it figures   
  
Mr. Play It Safe was afraid to fly   
He packed his suitcase and kissed his kids goodbye   
He waited his whole damn life to take that flight   
And as the plane crashed down he thought   
"Well isn't this nice..."   
And isn't it ironic... don't you think?   
  
Well life has a funny way of sneaking up on you   
When you think everything's okay and everything's going right   
And life has a funny way of helping you out when   
You think everything's gone wrong and everything blows up   
In your face   
  
A traffic jam when you're already late   
A no-smoking sign on your cigarette break   
It's like ten thousand spoons when all you need is a knife   
It's meeting the man of my dreams   
And then meeting his beautiful wife   
And isn't it ironic... don't you think?   
  
Life has a funny way of sneaking up on you   
Life has a funny, funny way of helping you out   
Helping you out  
  



	24. It'll Be All Right

"Daddy!"   
  
Carla ran into her father's arms. Dirk caressed his daughter who he has missed dearly in the days they've been away from each other. Dirk kissed the top of her forehead.  
  
"Did you do what I told you?" Dirk asked her sweetly, brushing her hair away from her eyes.  
  
"Yes…I told the whole entire camp, except for D and G tent of course. But the only problem is --"  
  
The Warden cut her off as she entered the room, "It didn't work." she said coldly.  
  
"What didn't?" Dirk asked, a little too loudly.   
  
"She didn't kill herself. Oh yes….she thought about it. But then that smart-ass kid came and got her out."   
  
Dirk cleared his throat, "I don't suppose--"  
  
"What're you BLIND?" The Warden shouted. Dirk jumped, "Rachel is STILL HERE! Oh well I guess you must not have seen her digging her hole." The Warden scoffed.  
  
Throughout this whole argument, Carla moved her head back and forth from each person.  
  
"But now that the camp knows about that night, she's bound to try again. I mean, come on…who wouldn't? Her life is hell here." Carla said, budding in. But for once, The Warden considered it.  
  
"Yes….yes, you could be right. But we have got to get that boy out of the picture. He's only making things more difficult." The Warden put her hands on her hips, biting her lip with her head down.  
  
An idea buzzed inside Carla's brain, "Ooh, I……could get him out of the picture," she said, slow and seductively.   
  
The Warden moved her hand up and down within inches, "Yes…yes! Make him a Rachel-hater. I bet…if he's really the sick boy he makes himself up to be…than he would fall for any girl. Especially someone sexy." The Warden put huge emphasizm on that last word. It was the key-word. An evil grin eased across Carla's face.   
  
"Showtime." She muttered.  
  
Dirk looked around, "Huh?"  
  
The Warden slapped him across the face. Fortunately, on Dirk's side, the rattlesnake nail polish was already dried.   
  
"You idiot. Carla is going to seduce Squid. That way….he will no long be in the picture." The Warden nodded, extremely happy and convinced with Carla's idea.  
  
Dirk nodded in agreement as he finally understood their evil scheme.   
  
"I like it." The Warden said.  
  
"Hah! Believe me…" Carla paused, "Me too." Dirk just cackled.   
  
----  
  
Rachel's heart pounded as her breathing accelerated at immense speed. She dropped her shovel to the ground. All of the girls turned their attention to Rachel, instead of the incoming truck.  
  
"What is it? Rachel?" Cate asked, a worried look rising up onto her face.  
  
Rachel was shell-shocked, "It's….my father." she said in disbelief.   
  
Most of the girls were as confused as Rachel was, not knowing what the big deal was. Who knows, maybe Rachel will even be able to get out of there. But none of them except Cate knew about Rachel's father, what he had done to her, and how he and Carla were definitely in on something. Cate dropped her shovel.   
  
"Will somebody please explain to me what the hell is going on?" Babygirl said, with a dazzled look on her face.  
  
"It's Rachel's father." Cate said. It's all she could say.   
  
"Well we know that!" Babygirl said sarcastically. The others didn't say anything, but listened intently.  
  
"Just wait!" Cate said, looking to Rachel for guidance as to what they should possibly do next. Rachel swallowed.  
  
"He's going to kill me, Cate." Rachel said, fear taking over her entire body and state of mind, "He's going to kill me."  
  
"We won't let that happen, Rachel!" Cate said, hopefully informing Rachel that it was the truth, and that it was completely obvious that they would protect her.  
  
"Hell, Squid sure won't let that happen. And the rest of the guys, too." Shorty said.  
  
Rachel nodded unconvincingly. "Just promise me that you won't get in his way. He'll kill whoever is in his way." Somehow, what Rachel just said completely coincided with what happened with Officer Mansley. But she had no idea that he was lying in the dirt on the side of the road.   
  
"Should you hide, or something?" Honey asked worriedly.   
  
Rachel shook her head, "No. He will only make it worse for me if that's what I do."  
  
Lucki and Courtney, who were standing next to Rachel, grabbed each one of her hands. They reached out and the rest of the girls made a chain, linking their elbows to each other.  
  
"You fight….we fight together!" Strings said independently. But Rachel knew it was helpless.   
  
All of the girls started walking defiantly to camp, giving up their responsibility with hole-digging. What was the point when they were going to die anyway?  
  
By the time they got here…The Warden, Mr. Sir, Mr. Pendanski and Danielle, hand in hand by the way, Carla Harrison, and Dirk Harrison were all standing just as defiant as the girls were. The rest of the camp's counselors were somewhere inside the tents or the Wreck Room. Not one of them wanted to get into a bloody fight in the middle of a hot sunny day.   
  
----  
  
"Guys, hey guys!" X-Ray shouted, and he pointed over at camp.  
  
"What the hell is going on?" Armpit said, scratching the top of his head.  
  
"I don't know, but it ain't good." X-Ray said.  
  
The rest of the boys dropped their shovels and looked over at the horizon. Zigzag couldn't do anything but stand there with his shovel, wide-eyed, until he saw Cate's elbow locked with Banana's, standing defiantly with the rest of the girls.  
  
"We've gotta do somethin'." Zigzag said, paranoia leaving him alone. This time, it wasn't any conspiracy theory. It was a real bona fide conspiracy.  
  
Squid took his toothpick out of his mouth and threw it to the ground, and started to run in the direction of camp.  
  
"Yo what do you think you're doing?!" X-Ray yelled.  
  
"I am not leaving Rachel hanging." Squid shouted back. Instantly, in that very moment, each one of the girls popped into the boys' minds and they all followed Squid. Possibly to their doom.  
  
"Get out of our way." The Warden said, clenching her fists.  
  
"No."  
  
"Now!"  
  
"No!" The girls yelled again. This time they had formed a circle around Rachel.   
  
"You can't get away with every damn thing." Shorty said, extremely casual, as if she were talking to anybody about nothing.  
  
"Excuse me?" The Warden said. Shorty rolled her eyes. The Warden's stupid little sarcastic sayings were getting incredibly old.   
  
Suddenly loud sounds of running footsteps emerged from behind the girls. All of them turned their heads. It was D-Tent, not even close to being out of breath yet. They were all extremely in shape from all the digging, and didn't even notice the heat anymore, only on occasional hot days.  
  
"Rachel!" Squid yelled from the middle of the group. Some of the girls moved away as Squid ran to her, grasping her into a safe hug.   
  
"Squid." she whispered, wrapping her arms around him.  
  
"I will not let them hurt you." He whispered in her ear. And for once, Rachel believed him. They pulled away and the boys joined the girls, making a large group of people compared to the short adults. Including Carla, who scowled at all of them, not being able to wait any longer to get this over with.  
  
The Warden, for once, looked anxious.   
  
"Maybe we should just kill them in their sleep?" Mr. Pendanski said. He sounded like a wimpy little puppy-dog, begging for mercy. Except the puppy would be cuter.   
  
"No! We are going to finish this once and for all! All of my plans have gone to hell and you can not weasel your way out of this one, buster!" The Warden shouted, "And you too Danielle!" Danielle just hunched down, as pathetic as Mr. Pendanski…if not more. They made an unusually good couple.  
  
The kids just stood there, intimidating.   
  
"Aww come on, you wimps!" Carla shouted, and ran at the group. The adults followed short after. It all happened in a matter of seconds. Carla jumped on Strings, giving her an instant black eye. They rolled over, Strings on top, punching Carla in the face merely out of self-defense. Carla limped over, unconscious.   
  
Dirk went straight for Rachel. Almost all of the kids got in front of them first. Courtney in the front. Dirk landed on her, breaking her leg. She yelled out in pain, clutching her leg. Dirk kicked her aside and lunged again, coming in contact with X-Ray and Armpit. Dirk fell over, spraining his ankle.   
  
Meanwhile, Mr. Pendanski and Danielle fled to the Wreck Room with the other counselors. The other counselors weren't babies, they just wanted to get out of that camp and return to their regular lives. They didn't care about some treasure, or what The Warden kept demanding them to do. The sooner The Warden got hers, the better. Than they could leave. But it was a whole different case with Danielle and Pendanski, they did not want to get even a small bruise.   
  
The Warden stood back and waited until she could get her hands on a particular boy. Squid.   
  
Dirk easily pushed Banana and Babygirl aside, one screaming in pain…the other unconscious. Cate and Rachel battled Carla once again as she regained her consciousness, slowly. Zigzag and Caveman ran at Dirk, this time The Warden coming to his rescue…scratching Caveman across the face for the second time that week. He yelled in pain, and put his head down, putting his hands across his face. Zero ran to Honey and Babygirl, keeping watch. Rachel came up behind Carla and swung a punch into her back. She fell to the ground, perfect for Cate and to put her down for hours.   
  
The Warden and Dirk finally knocked out Caveman and Zigzag. Dirk, The Warden, Squid, Rachel, X-Ray, Armpit, Lucki, and Shorty were the only ones left standing. The others were either in too much pain or were unconscious.   
  
Before anybody could do anything, Dirk swung a right-hook, and then a left. Sending Armpit and Shorty toppling to the ground. Some girls and boys yelled out. X-Ray and Squid jumped on Dirk, holding onto his neck swinging from side to side. The Warden reached up and clasped her hands around Squid's neck and pulled him to the ground. Dirk swung X-Ray off of him, who managed to land on his feet. Dirk swung his fist into Armpit's face, breaking his nose. X-Ray lunged again, but fell to the ground…defeated.   
  
"No!" Banana cried out, unable to do anything with her arm…which was now broken. Cate lay lifelessly on the ground with numerous other girls.  
  
Rachel heard a scream from the opposite direction. She turned and saw Squid struggling with The Warden, both of them bloody and in pain.  
  
"Stop it!" Rachel cried and started to run in Squid's direction. Dirk reached out his arms and grabbed her in mid-air. She landed on her feet, twisted her ankle, right in front of Dirk's towering shadow.  
  
"Now….we finish this. Come home with me right now and do what I've always told you to do!" Dirk yelled.   
  
"Never." Rachel said, and made one more attempt to go help Squid. Dirk hit her across the face. Rachel lowered her head in immense pain.   
  
"Stop your bullshit and finally become one of US!" Dirk demanded, shouting right in Rachel's face.  
  
"I'm not like you. I'm not. I never will be! Now get the hell out of my life!" Rachel yelled. She was putting her life on the line for what she believed in. Something she would've never done the same day that she left the house, after she thought she had killed Dirk.   
  
Rachel's eyes widened. The shuffling and yelling noises from The Warden and Squid had stopped, and a deafening silence surrounded the entire camp. They could hear a pin drop. Rachel dared herself to turn her head in the direction of the cat fight between Squid and The Warden. She glanced over there, wincing at the thought of Squid lying on the ground….but instead, The Warden's bloody face was sitting in the ground. She was still breathing, but unconscious. But where was Squid?   
  
A gunshot fired, the noise affecting the whole camp. Dirk remised and shouted….his leg buckling down from underneath him. Revealing, alive and well, Officer Alex Mansley…holding the gun that saved Rachel's life. He still had on the bullet-proof vest that knocked off the bullet that Dirk sent to his chest. The vest prevented his death, but left him a nasty bruise. Next to him stood Squid, broken down and beaten, but still alive. In the midst of everything, Squid flashed Rachel a small comforting smile, as if everything was going to be all right. And finally, Rachel knew, everything was going to be all right.   
  
----  
Song for this chapter!  
  
"Put Me In The Car" by Ryan Gosling  
  
Shadows are my friends  
And the light hits my face  
It hides behind the clouds  
In its institute of grace  
And our children warm their beds  
With dreams of growing old  
But deception has run rampant  
And their futures have been mistold  
  
Chorus:  
Just put me in the car  
And drive so far  
Until I'm free again  
And whisper in my ear  
That all these years  
I've been dreaming  
And then kiss me goodnight  
And it'll be all right  
It'll be all right  
It'll be all right  
It'll be all that I have ever asked of you  
  
Darkness thinks I'm pretty  
And the rain covers my soul  
But the women think I'm ugly  
They care not for hearts of gold  
And freedom teaches nothing  
If only to create  
Lately innocence is jaded  
Only preachers hate  
  
Chorus:  
Just put me in the car  
And drive so far  
Until I'm free again  
And whisper in my ear  
That all these years  
I've been dreaming  
Then kiss me goodnight  
And it'll be all right  
It'll be all right  
It'll be all right  
It'll be all that I have ever asked of you  
  
Just put me in the car  
And drive so far  
Until I'm free again  
  
Then kiss me goodnight  
And it'll be all right  
It'll be all right  
It'll be all right  
It'll be all that I ever asked of you  
  
Yeah oooh...  
  
Yeah oooh ooh oooh...  
  



	25. The End, But Only For Now!

Officer Mansley unclipped a large heavy belt from around his waist and lightly set it down on the porch of The Wreck Room. He peaked inside the Wreck Room at the captured villains; all of the counselors, Dirk and Carla, The Warden, and Mr. Sir…who were all tied up underneath the pool tables, blindfolded and gagged. He sat down next to Rachel, Cate, and Squid. He sighed.  
  
Nobody had talked much after Mansley explained everything that happened. Including how he kept that bullet-proof vest on at all times when dealing with Dirk Harrison or any other criminal. He would've died if he hadn't. Rachel had felt like she needed to apologize for her father's actions…at least for him, but Mansley strictly forbid it. He didn't want to have an innocent girl apologizing for a criminal. Relative or no relative.  
  
"I should be the one to apologize." Mansley had said.  
  
"Don't be silly, Officer. You saved our lives." Rachel replied.  
  
"No….you don't understand. I read your diary. Well, only one page." He said guiltily, "I didn't go any further though. It was our only hope in finding Dirk and having proof that you were innocent."  
  
At that, Rachel had hugged him, thanking him gratefully. She would let him read the whole dang diary if it meant proving her innocence.  
  
The girls with a broken arm, and another with a broken and Banana, were lying down peacefully on their cots, waiting for a bus-ride home. Armpit's nose had been patched up, and the blood washed off. All of the others had bruises and bandages, especially the side of Caveman's face. Cate held an ice-pack over her black eye, along with Strings and Honey who had fallen into an uneasy sleep on their cots. Most of the guys had fallen asleep too.  
  
Squid held the side of Rachel's arm as he lightly touched a cut that had finally stopped bleeding. Rachel inhaled in slight pain.  
  
"Sorry." Squid whispered, "Okay I'm done with that. Let me look at the side of your face."  
  
Rachel tilted her head to reveal a large dark purple bruise all the way from right below her eye down to her chin, where Dirk had hit her.  
  
"Ouch. You might get a black eye, babe." Squid said sweetly. Rachel smiled and looked down.  
  
Cate glanced at Rachel from the other side of Squid and smiled. _Kiss him_, she mouthed. Rachel gave a shocked face and smiled.  
  
"I called in some backup little over fifteen minutes ago, so the bus for the girls should be here soon, and a bunch of cops to take these suckers in." Mansley said, pointing his thumb behind him to the wriggling and groaning criminals.  
  
"We don't know how to thank you." Cate said.  
  
"Yeah man, you prevented something really horrible from happening." Squid said, glancing at Rachel for a second.  
  
"Hey, it's my job. And I don't know, I guess I got a little emotionally attached to your case. It kind of hits home, you know…from a childhood experience. I couldn't let Dirk get away. I would get him if it was the last thing I did." Mansley looked down and switched his radio back on.  
  
"But you didn't kill him. You shot him in the leg." Rachel said.  
  
"I know. I did that deliberately. I wasn't gonna kill him. Just put his butt in prison and he'll suffer more." Mansley smiled. Rachel returned the favor and turned her head back at Squid and Cate.  
  
"Well, what'd we do now?" Rachel asked, not directing the question at anyone. She was basically wondering to herself.  
  
"Look! Oh my gosh!" Cate said, jumping up and pointing to the sky. Rain had started to fall and the ground was getting more wet by the second.  
  
Everyone in camp, including injured kids and Mansley, ran out into the middle of the camp jumping up and down, waving their hands in the air, screaming.  
  
"Whoohoo!!" Squid shouted and brushed his hair back and forth in the rain. Rachel held her hands up, opening her eyes into the falling raindrops…holding her arms out. She turned around in circles until suddenly she was lifted off her feet. Before she could figure out what happened, she stopped moving her legs and looked straight ahead into Squid's face. Squid had run into her and lifted her up while her arms were outstretched.  
  
He just stared into her eyes, looking at her soul. Nobody had ever looked that deep into her eyes before. And Rachel was sure that Squid was thinking the same thing. They stood there for a long time, embracing each other.  
  
"I promise you, Rachel," Squid said aloud through the falling rain, "I will find you. We go our separate ways now, we go home….but I _will_ find you."  
  
"Hah! Ah!!" Rachel shouted and jumped back into Squid's arms. The pulled apart, and as everyone continued jumping and whooping in the rain…Squid and Rachel stood rooted to their spots. They felt like the only two people in the whole entire universe. Just them, together. Nothing could tear them apart, and even Rachel felt that. Rachel put her hands on Squid's neck and leaned up slowly. He put his hands gently around Rachel's waist, until finally their lips met.  
  
The other campers, in sight of what Squid and Rachel were up to, ran to their crush humorously and did the exact same thing. Mansley stepped back, along with Strings, and watched as each and every person had been matched up with another. Except for Shorty and X-Ray, who were playfully sending punches in one another's direction, laughing. Strings looked up at Mansley, and kissed him full on the lips. Mansley flinched. After the kiss parted, Strings laughed…but Mansley already knew it was a joke.  
  
"Two for flinching!" Strings snapped, and punched Mansley twice on the shoulder.  
  
The End..  
  
For now!  
  
Song for this chapter…  
  
"Amazed" by Lonestar  
  
Every time our eyes meet  
This feeling inside me  
Is almost more than I can take  
Baby when you touch me  
I can feel how much you love me  
And it just blows me away  
  
I've never been this close to anyone or anything  
I can hear your thoughts  
I can see your dreams…..  
  
I don't know how you do what you do  
I'm so in love with you  
It just keeps getting better  
I wanna spend the rest of my life  
With you by my side  
Forever and ever  
Every little thing that you do  
Baby I'm amazed by you  
  
The smell of your skin  
The taste of your kiss  
The way you whisper in the dark  
Your hair all around me  
Baby you surround me  
You touch every place in my heart  
Oh it feels like the first time every time  
I wanna spend the whole night in your eyes  
  
I don't know how you do what you do  
I'm so in love with you  
It just keeps getting better  
I wanna spend the rest of my life  
With you by my side  
Forever and ever  
Every little thing that you do  
Baby I'm amazed by you  
  
Every little thing that you do  
I'm so in love with you  
It just keeps getting better  
I wanna spend the rest of my life  
With you by my side  
Forever and ever  
Every little thing that you do  
Oh, every little thing that you do  
Baby I'm amazed by you  
  



	26. Ending Epilogue

The day after Squid and Rachel's first kiss, in the rain, each and every one of the campers at Camp Green Lake got on a bus home. The trip was long and tiring, but so was any other busride out of camp. At least this time it wasn't deadly warm, it was still raining once all of them finally arrived home.  
  
The rest of the girls, Caitlin (Bet), Courtney (Dice), Kristy (Shorty), Lindsey (Lucki), Lexie (Honey) Andi-Lee (Babygirl), Hannah (Banana), and Jessica (Strings) all returned to their regular lives and went on with becoming the people they wanted to be. All of them had stayed in touch with Rachel for years to come. All of the boys stayed in touch as well, but not Squid. He had gone to Missouri to live with his cousins, and had lost touch with all of the campers.  
  
The girls have stayed together with the boys from camp for over two years, and their relationships stayed alive and continued to grow each day. As for now 21 year olds, Rachel and Squid…no such luck. Their dream had not yet come true, and it had already been three years. Now Rachel had a steady job in photography and lived in a small apartment in North Carolina. After his cousins got into trouble and were sent to prison, Squid took a job in marine biology on the coast of Florida. The former G-Tent girls all lived in the same building as Rachel, but had their own jobs and differences, yet they all stayed as close as sisters. Each one of them had a different unique personality, even as they grew older. The D-Tent boys stayed in North Carolina and shared 4 condominiums right across the street from the girls' apartments.  
  
Every single day since he left Camp Green Lake, Squid had worked extremely hard to find Rachel again. He searched everywhere in Texas for months, which was where she said she would be, and he even took a four week trip to Raleigh, North Carolina. Her hometown. Rachel had been in Texas, and then had taken a trip to North Carolina right after Squid finished his trip there. They just missed each other, and probably even drove past each other on the roads. By the time Squid came back to Texas, she was already in North Carolina. Squid searched everywhere. But she was nowhere. It seemed that the more Squid searched and needed to find her, the further away she got. It was hopeless, but Squid never gave up. Even to this day, a hot humid Thursday in the year 2004, exactly three years later…. 


End file.
